Council of Yukon First Nations assumes responsibility of Yukon Native Language Centre

Joint news release with the Council of Yukon First Nations

The Government of Yukon is handing over responsibility and administration of the Yukon Native Language Centre to the Council of Yukon First Nations today.

The Council of Yukon First Nations requested that the Government of Yukon transfer full control of the centre as part of the critical priority Yukon First Nations have placed upon the revitalization of their languages. The centre has been the joint responsibility of the Council of Yukon First Nations and the Government of Yukon for more than 30 years.

The centre provides key services in training and certifying new Yukon First Nations language teachers, preservation and documentation, and curriculum and learning resource development.

The goal of the centre is to be more responsive to the needs of Yukon First Nations and better able to support community-based language programs.

The transfer of the Yukon Native Language Centre to the Council of Yukon First Nations will restore First Nations control and responsibility over their languages and improve efforts to revitalize First Nation languages in the territory, which is an essential part of the work towards reconciliation. We will continue to collaborate with the centre to train language teachers and deliver language programs in our schools to help revitalize Yukon First Nations languages for future generations.

Minister of Education Tracy-Anne McPhee

Yukon First Nations are encouraged by the complete transfer of the Yukon Native Language Centre to the Council of Yukon First Nations. The centre will now be better positioned to ensure that its programming and services directly support Yukon First Nation language priorities. CYFN will continue to work with both the federal and territorial governments to advocate for Yukon First Nations languages.

Council of Yukon First Nations Grand Chief Peter Johnston

Quick facts 
  • The Council of Yukon First Nations will continue to receive $450,000 from the Government of Yukon for the operations of the Yukon Native Language Centre. This includes funding towards the Yukon First Nations language teachers’ programs, the development of curriculum and resource materials, and language proficiency development.

  • The Yukon Native Language Centre began in 1977 as the Yukon Native Language Project. It became a training and research facility for Yukon First Nations languages education in 1985.

  • Yukon First Nations language teachers are unaffected by this change and will remain Government of Yukon employees and members of the Yukon Teachers’ Association.

  • Training and certificate programs for Yukon First Nations language teacher trainees will continue.

Media contact 

Sunny Patch 
Cabinet Communications 
867-393-7478 
sunny.patch@gov.yk.ca

Jason Mackey 
Communications, Education 
867-332-7008 
jason.mackey@gov.yk.ca

Jennifer Ward 
Executive Assistant, Council of Yukon First Nations 
867-393-9200 ext. 9224 
executive.assistant@cyfn.net

News release #: 
18-007