Whitehorse Daily Star

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MOURNING A VISIONARY – The late Ray Jackson, shown above in January 2005, was ‘a good, faithful visionary of Champagne and Aishihik citizens,’ says lawyer Dave Joe, who knew the late First Nations leader from childhood. Right: DAVE JO

‘It’s a devastating loss for the community’

“Our community, we’re hurting.”

By Sidney Cohen on August 24, 2016

“Our community, we’re hurting.”

Steve Smith, the chief of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, expressed his sadness Tuesday over the death of a determined advocate for First Nations rights in the Yukon.

Ray Jackson (Kànälna), an elder and Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (CAFN) chief, died Monday after a long struggle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which affects the lungs. He was 77 years old.

“It’s a devastating loss for the community,” Smith told the Star in an interview Tuesday afternoon.

“Ray is one of those individuals who, although his working life came to an end, he never ever gave up.”

The current chief remembered his predecessor as a committed leader, a mentor, and generous with insights and advice.

After Smith was elected chief, he said, he visited Jackson many times for guidance.

“(Jackson) was able to put into context why we’re doing certain things from a governance standpoint... which was really helpful,” he said.

In the Yukon, Jackson is perhaps best known for kick-starting land claims negotiations for CAFN when he was chief in the early 1970s, and for being one of 12 Yukon First Nations chiefs who joined the late Elijah Smith in presenting Together Today for Our Children Tomorrow, to then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau.

That 1973 document laid the foundation for the Yukon’s land claims process and painted a picture of First Nations self-government.

To those who knew him, Jackson was erudite, diligent and devoted to the CAFN people.

“Ray Jackson was a good, faithful visionary of Champagne and Aishihik citizens,” said lawyer Dave Joe, a CAFN citizen who grew up with Jackson.

“He pretty much lived the majority of his adult life pursuing a protection of the rights, titles, and interests of the Champagne and Aishihik citizens and certainly was one of the initial players in the establishment of the document which was presented to Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, in 1973.”

Joe and Jackson worked together to negotiate CAFN’s self-government agreement.

They also worked on the seminal Umbrella Final Agreement, which provides a template for land claim and self-government agreements in the Yukon.

CAFN was one of the first four Yukon First Nations to sign self-government agreements, in 1993.

“He was a great guy,” said Joe.

Jackson was born in the bush on April 26, 1939, and was a member of the Agunda (Wolf) Clan.

He was the eldest of seven children born to Peter and Marge Jackson.

Jackson was a student at the Whitehorse Baptist Mission School, a residential school in downtown Whitehorse.

He did well academically and came out of the experience as a “financially astute” young man, said Smith.

Elijah Smith, who led the delegation that brought Together Today for our Children Tomorrow to Ottawa, recognized Jackson’s skills and urged him to join the Yukon Native Brotherhood (YNB).

Jackson eventually become president of the organization.

At different points in his diverse working life, Jackson was a land claims negotiator for the Kwanlin Dün First Nation.

He worked in land claims and as a band manager for Kluane Tribal Council.

He also served as vice-chair of the Council for Yukon Indians, which amalgamated with the YNB and the Yukon Association of Non-Status Indians to form today’s Council of Yukon First Nations.

Jackson also worked as a realtor, and in his late 50s and early 60s, he had his own IT business called FrostByte Computers.

The latter career move was especially impressive considering that Jackson didn’t grow up using computers, said Smith.

“He knew the power of the computer and he embraced it, he didn’t shy away from it and he was quite good at what he did,” said Smith.

Throughout his storied career, Jackson never forgot about his citizens in the CAFN.

In addition to his role as chief, he was band manager for CAFN, president of Champagne and Aishihik Enterprises, and he was a CAFN General Assembly delegate.

Jackson also served a number of terms on local boards.

Those included the CAFN lands and housing committee and the Haines Junction community justice committee.

For years, he was a familiar sight driving his vintage Pontiac Firebird around southern Yukon.

The elder and chief is survived by his wife, two daughters and three siblings.

Jackson’s passing comes at the heels of another tragic death in the community around Haines Junction.

CAFN citizen Kimberly Chambers, 28, died during the Discovery Day long weekend after falling from a horse while moose hunting by Dezadeash Lake.

Chambers was an experienced rider, and was familiar with the horse she was on, Kristen Macdonald, the Yukon’s chief coroner, told the Star last week.

“We buried one of our young leaders and now to lose one of our foundational leaders, the community’s in a bit of shock,” said Smith.

By Sidney Cohen Star Reporter

Comments (2)

Up 4 Down 0

June Jackson on Aug 26, 2016 at 12:18 pm

You are born..you die..it's the circle of life..however, not very many get to make an impact, to change the course of history, to leave a legacy that will go on forever.

RIP Mr. Jackson.

Up 6 Down 4

linda bonnefoy on Aug 25, 2016 at 10:34 am

Ray Jackson was truly a leader who called for transparency and accountability. He was one of my favorite leaders growing up in the Yukon. He made me aware five summers ago that he was given the title of honorary Senator. I was caught off guard by the word 'honorary'. I coined Ray "Little Big Man" and he never corrected me because that is who Ray Jackson was to me. Roddy Blackjack, Elijah Smith were true advocates for advancing Yukon First Nations peoples interests. I would like to see for Yukon history one of the old leaders from that time appointed to the Canadian Senate by this Liberal Government. I would suggest Elder Stanley James of Carcross as he is one of the few of the old time leaders who has not lost his way and keeps the next generation in the forefront of his values and motivation. It is what Ray Jackson dedicated his early career for.

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