The Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) has named Peter Johnston of Teslin to fill its chair on the Education Reform Project.

The chair fell vacant last month after Ed Schultz abruptly resigned from the project without explanation. Schultz had served as the CYFN's co-chair since the project's inception in August 2005.

'We, as first nations people, have a responsibility outside of our own jobs to ensure, in an important process such as education reform, we play a role,' Johnston said in an interview.

Johnston is the deputy chief of the Teslin Tlingit Council. He is also a co-chair on the territorial government's Yukon first nations education advisory committee and a member of the chiefs' committee on education.

Johnston told the Star first nations leaders must take an increasing role and responsibility in relation to education.

'Everything relates back to education: reading, writing, job skills,' he said.

The discussion about education must include everything from early childhood up to post-secondary, he added.

The $1.5-million Education Reform Project is a joint two-year initiative between the CYFN and the territorial government. It's aimed at addressing the gap between first nation and non-first nation student success in education.

The project is currently doing a second territory-wide tour to host consultations in all the Yukon's communities.

The team has been directed to complete a draft final report by the end of July, said Colin Kelly, the project's other co-chair.

The reform discussions have become controversial and highlighted the debate in the legislative assembly over the last several weeks.

The team has been directed not to release the 32 options papers previously produced by the team during their first round of consultations with stakeholders that spanned a year.

Premier Dennis Fentie has also stated governance is off the table for discussions relating to the project. The Yukon government will not devolve the public jurisdiction of the public education system, he has stated.

'I try not to get too much involved in the political arena,' said Johnston, adding he sees the position as just 'a matter of helping out for a few short months.'

Johnston said there needs to be a better understanding of the programming that already exists in the Yukon and what is working and what isn't.

He added for the programs that do appear to be working in the territory, there needs to be greater emphasis on incorporating a first nations perspective into it.

'I think there are so many positive things coming to a head in the education system,' he said.

Johnston declined to comment on the current debate on governance and exactly how important it is to first nations or even the general public.

'The attitude, we all know in some cases, has to change,' he added.

First nations can't just be participants, they must also be active decision-makers in the process, he said.

Emotions are currently running very high among first nations about the education system, said Johnston. It's the product of how things have been going over the last several years, he said.

The review of the Yukon Education Act is already late by seven years. The transfer of education programs is contained in Section 17 of most self-government agreements.

Kwanlin Dun, Na Cho Nyak Dun and Little Salmon-Carmacks have begun the process of negotiating the transfer of education to their governments.

'I believe the more we can be involved as first nations and as governments, we're going to be that much more successful at the end of the day,' said Johnston.

The Education Reform Project hosted its first public consultation in Whitehorse last night.

The hour-and-a-half meeting held at F.H. Collins Secondary School attracted only one individual from the public and three members of the school council.

Four representatives from the Education Reform Project, two representatives from the opposition parties and three members of the local media were also in attendance.

The turnout was on par with what has been seen in other communities, said Kelly.

'We're trying to have a candid conversation with as many Yukoners as possible,' he said.

Individuals attending the meetings are being provided with a one-page handout highlighting 15 'themes' heard during the previous round of consultations.

'What we're getting a lot of is the discussions about more community involvement and more decisions at a community level,' he said.

The purpose, as directed by the project's executive committee, is to make sure the information received previously is current and to enter into a 'general dialogue' with the public, said Kelly.