The Carcross/Tagish First Nation met with...

The Carcross/Tagish First Nation (C/TFN) met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and John Duncan, minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development on Aug. 21 to see if they could get negotiations for fair and equitable funding for the First Nation back on track. The C/TFN is a self-governing First Nation located in the Yukon’s southwest. Their territory surrounds a portion of the Klondike highway that runs from Skagway, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon, including the Nares River Bridge, which is a vital gateway for Yukon commerce and trade. The meeting with Duncan took place in Whitehorse before a Conservative Party fundraiser attended by Prime Minister Harper on C/TFN territory. “We had a frank and honest discussion with Minister Duncan,” said C/TFN Khà Shâde Héni (Chief) Danny Cresswell. “He listened and assured us that he would immediately look at C/TFN funding and, if it was unfair compared to other self-governing Yukon First Nations, he would fix it.” The C/TFN chief was a guest at the fundraiser where he spoke to Prime Minister Harper, handed him a letter that explained the funding disparity and the need for the government to resume negotiations. “Prime Minister Harper acknowledged that there was a funding issue, and that Minister Duncan would resolve it,” said Cresswell. “We have heard promises like this before from the federal government, but coming from the Prime Minister, we trust that Minister Duncan will be true to his word and work towards a speedy resolution of fair and equitable funding for our First Nation.”