Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) and Government of Yukon host conference on Indigenous Conservation Economies
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This is a joint release between the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) and the Government of Yukon.
The Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) and the Government of Yukon welcomed representatives from 28 Indigenous nations, along with representatives from diverse sectors, governments and conservation-focused organizations to the Yukon North Slope Conference 2025: Indigenous Conservation Economies in Whitehorse from January 28 to 30.
The goal of the conference is to promote public discussion of co-management of the Yukon North Slope area. It is also an opportunity to celebrate Inuvialuit culture and successes in collaborative implementation of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.
This year’s theme, Indigenous Conservation Economies, was inspired by the new Aullaviat/Anguniarvik Traditional Conservation Area on the Yukon North Slope. The theme provided Indigenous governments and groups, as well as other partners, the opportunity to connect and discuss how Indigenous Peoples can use their traditional economies to thrive across a variety of sectors and geographies. This includes Indigenous-led conservation areas, conservation finance, harvesting and on-the-land support, guardians and monitoring programs, climate adaption initiatives, ecotourism, research economies and artistry.
Frank Brown, a Hereditary Chief of the Heiltsuk Nation from Bella Bella in British Columbia gave the keynote address to over 200 participants attending from across the Canadian North. The Yukon North Slope Conservation Award was also given out during the conference and a film celebrating the Aullaviat/Anguniarvik Traditional Conservation Area Agreement premiered during the conference.
The Inuvialuit Final Agreement was signed in 1984 and identified the Yukon’s North Slope as a place for conservation of wildlife, habitat and traditional Inuvialuit use. 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. This year’s conference is the 11th Yukon North Slope Conference since the agreement was signed.