First Nations are resilient and want to help build a citizenship who will help benefit the entire territory, Grand Chief Peter Johnston of the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) told business leaders and government officials from across the North today.

Johnston was the keynote speaker as the Opportunities North conference got underway this morning at the Yukon Convention Centre.

The annual conference is done as a partnership between the Yukon Chamber of Commerce, the Northwest Territories Chamber of Commerce and the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce with the conference location rotating between Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Edmonton, with it being held in Whitehorse this year.

The focus of the 2018 Opportunities North conference is on disruption, “which speaks to paradigm shifts taking place in the Yukon, across the Canadian North, in neighbouring Alaska, throughout the circumpolar world, as well as elsewhere in Canada, in the US and in the rest of the world” it was highlighted in a statement on the conference website.

“‘Disruption’ is a double-edged sword, bringing unease, change, and destruction of traditional approaches, while presenting new and unique opportunities,” he said.

Throughout his keynote address, Johnston pointed out that First Nations have been disrupted “throughout our history”.

“I am a product of this disruption; I am a beneficiary of this disruption,” he said.

He pointed out one doesn’t have to go further than the Star’s section allowing anonymous comments on its website to realize the ignorance of many on the issue.

He then pointed to the 45th anniversary of Together Today For Our Children Tomorrow, the document, which helped pave the way for land claims negotiations in the Yukon.

The document has meant a lot of good things for the territory, he said, highlighting the work of First Nations and development corporations since then to benefit citizens.

“We are thinking globally when it comes to investments,” Johnston said, going on to highlight the history of First Nations as well as the impacts that continue to be experienced today.

“We come from great people, we come from stoic people,” he said.

In 1492, he said, disruption around the planet was at its peak as explorers made their way around the world.

The Royal Proclamation of 1776, he said, recognized aboriginal title that could only be superseded by treaties.

As more contact was made between First Nations and those arriving from other regions of the world it “was almost like a tsunami wave,” he said, going on to note policies came into place to help “the big machine” move westward across Canada.

“We fought back with resilience and pride,” Johnston said.

It was in 1847 that the first policy around residential schools – one of the most disruptive policies in history that many continue to feel the effects of – was established.

The role of residential schools was to remove from First Nations children the influence of family and culture and assimilate those children into Canadian society through a system of abuse.

When students went to residential schools, the first rule was that they could not speak their language and that they “would be dealt with” if they were heard speaking their languages.

It was in 1920 that residential schools became mandatory, which meant families had to hide in the bush or face jail if they would not send their children to the schools.

That was also the year that the Indian Act – first adopted in 1876 under Canada’s first prime minister John A. MacDonald – was amended to ban First Nations from wearing traditional regalia.

There were a number of amendments to the Indian Act over the years, that have continued to impact First Nations throughout the country.

Along with the disruptions being felt throughout the territory, Johnston also pointed to the Klondike Gold Rush and the building of the Alaska Highway as major events in the territory that continue to be felt by Yukon First Nations.

Johnston described the work on the highway as one of the most detrimental events in his own community of Teslin.

“It almost wiped our community out,” he said, pointing to small pox and other illnesses that came with the on-slot of U.S. army members tasked with building the road that would connect Alaska to the south.

It was in 1956 that changes were made to the Indian Act that were not so repressive – First Nations could leave their reserves without seeking permission, were once again permitted to wear ceremonial dress and could hire lawyers.

It would be another four years though before they could cast ballots.

“We weren’t even allowed to vote in this great nation until 1960,” he said.

It was in 1969 that the White Paper was released, a federal document Johnston said would provide more opportunities for First Nations “if we’d just assimilate.”

By this point, he argued, it was clear that if First Nations didn’t stand up to the government, they could be taken up by the tsunami.

In the Yukon that year, the Yukon Native Brotherhood was born with the Yukon Association for Non-Status Indians being established in 1970. Three years later the two groups would join together to become the Council for Yukon Indians, now the CYFN.

And it was on Feb. 14 of that year, a delegation presented Together Today For Our Children Tomorrow in Ottawa.

Back in the day, Johnston said, First Nations were already thinking about economic development as they worked toward self-government.

“It was important that we shared this vision,” he said, noting that when First Nations succeeds in the territory, everybody succeeds.

He went on to note significant dates through the 1970s and 1980s, including amendments in 1985 to the Indian Act that gave back status rights to women who had lost their rights by marrying non-First Nations. As he noted though, there are still issues with that amendment as the status rights only extend by one generation.

It was in 1993 that the Umbrella Final Agreement was inked, which has served as the basis for land claims in the territory and the Champagne and Aishihik First Nation, Teslin Tlingit Council, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun took on the reality of self-government.

More First Nations have gone on to sign their own self-government and land claims agreements since.

He acknowledged though that not everything has gone as planned and at the end of the day, there’s a “residue” left from the impacts First Nations have experienced. Those impacts are seen in the number of First Nations children in the child welfare system, the number of First Nations in the justice system and in issues with the education system.

At the same time, he pointed out that First Nations are building economic wealth and it’s important that First Nations be part of the conversation around that.

“Here we are, still today,” he said, as he finished his speech, again emphasizing the importance of helping people be successful.

The conference continues until Thursday.