The Kaska Nation has declared it will create its own law to govern development within its traditional territory, Kaska leaders announced Tuesday.

Chief Brian Ladue of the Ross River Dena Council said in an interview this morning the move is receiving support from the mining industry, and in fact, industry is already offering to help develop the resource law.

The Kaska resource law, as it’s being described, is not meant to replace existing laws or requirements such as the environmental review process or requirements by the Yukon Water Board, Ladue said from the Mineral Exploration Roundup in Vancouver.

It’s not, he emphasized, meant to be controversial.

He said it’s a method for companies to check with the Kaska first to see where development can occur, before they spend a lot of money in areas where the Kaska do not want development.

“We are saying there are areas in our traditional territory that are too culturally sensitive to allow for commercial development and we are creating a method for a company to find out right up front,” the chief said.

The Kaska, the chief added, support economic development opportunities if they are done responsibly and provide benefits to the Kaska people.

Ladue said all the mining companies working in the Ross River area that he’s spoken with are in full support of the initiative.

“I’m getting emails and texts from these guys, I’m sitting down face to face with them, and they fully support our approach,” Ladue said.

“Industry is behind us and is offering to work with us to build our resource law.

“It makes sense to have industry involved in the process, and I am saying ‘yea.’”

Ladue and other Kaska leaders are in Vancouver for this week’s exploration roundup, and are meeting with industry representatives.

The traditional Kaska territory covers a large area in southeast Yukon, northwest British Columbia and a section of the Northwest Territories.

Three of 14 Yukon First Nations are without aboriginal land claims, including the Ross River Dena Council and the Liard First Nation.

The courts, however, have said the Kaska must be consulted before development is permitted to proceed in their traditional territory, the First Nation leaders insisted Tuesday in their press release.

The Kaska leaders released their declaration explaining their intent to have the resource law ready for review and approval at a Kaska general assembly this summer.

Ladue said the six-month time frame is doable because much of the resource work has been compiled through the years and the individual First Nations have the expertise to bring the material together to develop a comprehensive law.

This is not meant to be controversial, but complementary to the laws and regulations in place, he reiterated.

The chief said the Kaska do not need and are not looking for approval of their initiative from the territorial and provincial governments.

In a decision just over a year ago, the three judges of the Yukon Court of Appeal ruled the Ross River Dena Council must be consulted before any staking of mineral claims is permitted inside the Ross River area.

The Yukon government subsequently froze all mineral staking in the area, with the hopes of negotiating a land use plan with Ross River to identify areas where mineral exploration would be permitted.

The moratorium on staking will expire Saturday, though the government has already extended it a couple of times.

“While we are working on the development of the law and regulations, we will continue to expect all resource developers to enter agreements with Kaska to provide employment, training and business opportunities and to ensure Kaska will benefit from these projects while protecting our lands and culture,” Chief Daniel Morris of Liard First Nation said in Tuesday’s press release.

Kaska Nation Declaration:

Whereas the Kaska Nation has unextinguished and unceded rights, title and interests in its Traditional Lands;

And Whereas the Kaska Nation has a sacred trust to protect its Traditional Lands for the use and benefit of future generations;

And Whereas the Kaska Nation has an Inherent Right to govern its Traditional Lands and Kaska communities;

Now therefore the Kaska Nation hereby declares its intention to develop and implement a Kaska Nation Resource Law to oversee access to, and developments in, its Traditional Lands.