Current members of the Traditional Knowledge Circle

Khe’ Ka Yet (Tlingit) was born and raised in Teslin, Yukon. He graduated from F.H. Collins High School. After graduating, Carl built the Teslin Canoe Factory, which produced cedar and canvas freighter canoes used across the north. Carl served with the Royal Canadian Engineers. He worked with the Teslin Tlingit Council to implement the Self-Government Agreement. He has served on many boards and committees since the early 1990’s. Carl is happy to be a member of the Yukon Land Use Planning Council.

He is also the Council for Yukon First Nations Nominee on the Yukon Land Use Planning Council.

Shirlee is Vuntut Gwitchin born in Old Crow, Yukon and lives in Whitehorse, Yukon.  She has been involved in the community for many years through her work and volunteer activities with the philosophy of building good positive relationships and strong networks.

Shirlee has a good understanding of Northern Issues and the diverse cultures of the North.  She looks for every opportunity to build strong partnerships that would bring positive change in thinking and policy.  She is a Social, Cultural and Environmental activist and Bead Artist.

After a 30-year career in the Federal Public Service, Shirlee is now retired and enjoys her time in Nature.  She tends to a garden, raises chickens and turkeys and gathers as the seasons change in beautiful Yukon.  In winter, she enjoys cross country skiing.

She also draws on over 8 years of experience as member and Chair of the Vuntut and North Yukon Regional Planning Commissions. As well, has served as member and Chair of the Yukon Land Use Planning Council in the past. 

Angie Joseph-Rear was active in the self-government process as a Chief, councillor and community member. Her work ensured the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s land claims agreement reflected the values and aspirations of the Hän people. She continues to be a member of the Dawson Regional Planning Commission.

Angie was the Hän language teacher at Dawson City’s Robert Service School for nearly a decade before becoming the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s language coordinator. Angie is a survivor of residential school and, along with her peers, has helped others deal with their residential school experience through the K’änächá group, a Dawson City-based group of former residential school students. Even with her busy schedule, Angie still finds time to enjoy the land that has sustained her culture for thousands of years.

My name is Gary Darbyshire, member of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and my First Nations name is Chänädäta, which means thinking about something. I live in Champagne and have a trapline there that keeps me active in the winter. I would like to see Southern Tutchone Traditional Knowledge used in regional planning, it can be used as a template for Champagne Community Land Use Planning.

How are you? My name is Dakeli in Kaska and my English name is Hammond Dick. I am His Tah GoDena, people from Pelly Lakes. I belong to the Crow Clan. My father was Das Dela, George Dick and my mother was Ni Kiya Ma , Maudy Alice Dick.

I was asked to join this YFNs Traditional Knowledge Elders Circle in February 2020 and I accepted.

I am a Residential School survivor. I quit school when I turned sixteen.

I wanted to be like my older brothers, being a trapper and guide for Outfitters, but fate had other plans. I shot my forearm in a hunting accident in 1963, when I was sixteen years old, the following year I tried again to follow in my older brothers footsteps, but I made so many vital mistakes that my brother Robertson told me to go back to school, before I seriously harm myself.

I took my older brother’s advice and went back to the education system for sixteen years.

I learned a trade and became a journeyman Cabinet maker, and a Construction Contractor building Band Housing for LIB for four building seasons,

A Green Chain worker, at a Sawmill on the Liard River for one summer, and several seasons as a Wild Land Fire Fighter out of Watson Lake.

A NorthernCareersProgram(NCP)participant, a federal government employee program to recruit Aboriginal employees for four years where I learned Environmental Science at Lethbridge Community College in Alberta for two semesters and six semesters at Ft Smith’s Renewable Resources Training Program(RRTP)in NWT.

In 1977, I returned to the Yukon and did one term as a Game Warden with Yukon government and two years with Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS)as a wildlife technician out of Whitehorse.

In the fall of 1980, I returned to my home town of Ross River(Tu Tli Dlini) and I began to work for my people. I have been doing that ever since, in different capacities.

The first winter, I began as RRIB Housing Manager. I attended meetings on behalf of RRIB with Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) and other housing authorities.

I was also acting manager of the Ross River Group Trapline and helped administer the Group Trapline with the trappers, and acted as an agent for the Yukon Trappers Association (YTA) I also represented the Ross River Group Trappers at the Yukon Trappers Association meetings once a month in Whitehorse and at their annual general meetings.

I also wrote a proposal for the RR Group Trapline Remote Trapline Development. It was funded successfully and put many of our trappers to work that winter.

I also assisted RRDC to carry out the Coffee Lake Cultural Exchange with Ft Norman (Tulita) people for ten days each year for ten years.

I ran successfully as Chief Executive Officer (CEO)for two terms, then became CEO of Kaska Tribal Council(KTC) in February 1990 for twenty one years. I moved to Watson Lake in 1990 in order to develop the KTC and I settled in this community ever since.

I took an active part in the Yukon Land Claims negotiations process while I was still living in Ross River till the government walked away from our table in 2006.

I worked with the Kaska Leadership to provide updates and develop strategies regarding the Kaska Nation approach to address its grievances with the federal, territorial and Yukon First Nations governments.

The KTC folded in early 2011. The following year, I retired, but not entirely.

I continue to sit as LFN Justice Department Alternative Justice Circle member since 1993. We work closely with the local RCMP Detachment and the Courts when LFN youth are involved in the courts system.

I continue to sit as a BOD for Arctic Athabaskan Council (AAC) since 2002 as a Kaska representative.

I have been active in LFN Kaska Language revitalization program since 2020. We work with Yukon Native Language Centre (YNLC), University of British Columbia (UBC), Simon Fraser University (SFU),and Council For Yukon First Nations (CYFN) to address language development skills using hands on learning skills and through technical means.

I continue to sit as a YFNs Traditional Knowledge Elders Circle member with the YLUPC since 2020.

I continue to be active in developing a Kaska Elders Council since 2021.

I continue to provide assistance to Ross River Dena Council (RRDC), Daylu Dena Council (DDC), and Dena Keh Institute (DKI) to address Indigenous Controlled Protected Areas (ICPA) negotiations with the governments since 2020.

I have been a wilderness man since I can remember and learn it all from elders and my dad. I have always been in the bush and love it there cause of all the birds, animals and the quietness of nature. Also I will never change my ways for I have lived like that most of my life.

You can hear directly from Franklin more about him in the audio players below!

Colleen recently joined the Circle. We look forward to hearing from her!