The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation (VGFN) 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 northern

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 population centre is

Old Crow Old Crow is a low-priced brand of Kentucky-made straight bourbon whiskey distilled by Beam Suntory, which also produces Jim Beam and several other brands of whiskey. The current Old Crow product uses the same mash bill and yeast as Jim Beam, but ...

. The language originally spoken by the people is Gwichʼin.

Gwich'in Nation

Vuntut Gwich'in refers specifically to the Gwich'in people who lived in Van Tat which translates as "people of the lakes." More recently, VGFN has incorporated the Vuntut Gwich'in and Dagoo Gwich'in (who traditionally lived further up the Porcupine River). The wider Gwich'in nation is spread across northwestern Canada and Alaska. Other Gwich'in communities include: the Tetlit Gwich'in in Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories; Tsiigehtchic Gwich'in in

Tsiigehtchic Tsiigehtchic ( ; "mouth of the iron river"), officially the ''Charter Community of Tsiigehtchic'', is a Gwich'in community located at the confluence of the Mackenzie and the Arctic Red Rivers, in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, ...

, Northwest Territories; Gwichyaa Gwich'in in

Fort Yukon Fort Yukon (''Gwichyaa Zheh'' in Gwich'in) is a city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska, straddling the Arctic Circle. The population, predominantly Gwich'in Alaska Natives, was 583 at the 2010 census, down from 595 ...

, Alaska;

Arctic Village, Alaska Arctic Village (''Vashrąįį K'ǫǫ'' in Gwich'in) is an unincorporated Native American village and a census-designated place (CDP) in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the CDP was 152 ...

;

Chalkyitsik Chalkyitsik (''Jałgiitsik'' in Gwich'in), meaning "to fish with a hook, at the mouth of the creek", is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. It is located on the left (south) bank of the Black Riv ...

, Alaska; and

Venetie Venetie ( ;Corey Goldberg," ''New York Times'', 9 May 1997. ''Vįįhtąįį'' in Gwich’in), is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska. At the 2010 census, the population was 166, down from 202 in 2000. It includ ...

, Alaska.

Self Government Agreement

The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation was one of the first four First Nations to sign a

land claims A land claim is defined as "the pursuit of recognized territorial ownership by a group or individual". The phrase is usually only used with respect to disputed or unresolved land claims. Some types of land claims include aboriginal land claims, A ...

agreement in 1995. The chief is presently Dana Tizya-Tramm.

Vuntut Development Corporation

Vuntut Development Corporation, the business arm of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, owns 49% of

Air North Air North Charter and Training Ltd., operating as , is a Canadian airline based in Whitehorse, Yukon. It operates scheduled passenger and cargo flights throughout Yukon, as well as between Yukon and the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, ...

, a Canadian airline based in

Whitehorse Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas ...

. Air North provides regular passenger and cargo service to Old Crow, several other Yukon destinations,

Inuvik Inuvik (''place of man'') is the only town in the Inuvik Region, and the third largest community in Canada's Northwest Territories. Located in what is sometimes called the Beaufort Delta Region, it serves as its administrative and service cen ...

, as well as six major Canadian cities. In partnership with Kluane First Nation, Vuntut Development Corporation and North Air created and run Chieftain Energy Limited Partnership. Additional non-equity partnership arrangements exist with Dease River First Nation, Kwanlin Dün First Nation, Selkirk First Nation, the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun and Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in. This energy company is the first majority First Nation-owned company. Its goal is to maintain a local supply chain for fuel, lubricants, and liquified natural gas. It services the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Northern B.C.

Notable people

* Jeneen Frei Njootli, artist

References

External links

Vuntut Gwitchin First NationVuntut Gwitchin GovernmentGovernment of Canada's Department of Indian and Northern Affairs First Nation profile
{{authority control First Nations in Yukon First Nations governments in Yukon Gwich'in