The Liard River First Nation, also known as the Liard First Nation (pronounced "lee-ahrd") is a

First Nation Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

in the southeastern

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Its main centres are Upper Liard and Watson Lake along the Alaska Highway. The language originally spoken by the people of this First Nation was

Kaska The Kaska or Kaska Dena are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group living mainly in northern British Columbia and the southeastern Yukon in Canada. The Kaska language, originally spoken by the Kaska, is an Athabas ...

and the First Nation is a member of the

Kaska Tribal Council The Kaska Dena Council is a tribal council formed of five band governments of the Kaska Dena people in northern British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territories, Canada. Member governments The five member governments are the: * Daylu ...

which is pursuing land claims in the Yukon and northern

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. Their Indian and Northern Affairs Canada band number is 502.

Population and demographics

Its registered population in June 2011 was 1,152.

Indian reserves

Indian reserves In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...

under the governance of the Liard First Nation are:"Reserves/Villages/Settlements" of the Liard First Nation at AANDC
* Blue River IR No.1, on the left bank of the Blue River at its confluence with the Dease, 65.20 ha. *Dease River IR No.2 (Liard River Band), 6.4 km northeast of the confluence of the Blue and Dease Rivers, 157.40 ha. *Dease River Indian Reserve No.3 (Liard River Band), left bank of the Dease River opposite the mouth of the Rapid River, 51.40 ha. *Horse Ranch IR No.4, at Horse Ranch Pass, 14 miles north of Dease River I.R. No.3, 247.30 ha. *Liard River IR No.3, left bank of the Liard River one mile south of

Lower Post Lower Post is an aboriginal community in northern British Columbia, Canada, located on Highway 97, the Alaska Highway, approximately 15 miles (23 kilometres) southeast of Watson Lake, Yukon. Its historical mile designation is Mile 620. It is lo ...

., 271.90 ha. * McDames Creek IR No.3, left bank of the Dease River on both banks of the mouth of

McDame Creek McDame Creek is a creek in Cassiar Land District of British Columbia, Canada. The creek flows southeast into Dease River and is south of Good Hope Lake. The creek was discovered in 1874 by a prospector named Harry McDame. McDame Creek was mined ...

*Mosquito Creek IR No.5, on the Major Hart River, a tributary of the Turnagain River, 30 miles northeast of Cry Lake, 518 ha. *Muddy River IR No.1, on the left bank of the Liard River at Mile Post 540 of the Alaska Highway 70.80 ha. *One Mile Point IR No.1, at the north end of

Dease Lake Dease Lake is a small community located in the Cassiar Country of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is located a few hours south of the Yukon border on Stewart–Cassiar Highway (Highway 37) at the south end of the lake ...

at the outlet of the Dease River, opposite Porter's Landing, 47.70 ha.

References

First Nations governments in Yukon First Nations governments in British Columbia Kaska Dena {{BritishColumbia-stub