The Champagne and Aishihik First Nation has set aside $50,000 to help combat youth homelessness in Whitehorse, following announcements for a larger pilot project in the Yukon's capital.

�We recognize there are a lot of aboriginal youth on the street in Whitehorse and we want to help them,� said Chief Diane Strand. �Right now, we are looking for other first nations to partner with.�

The first nation is considering avenues through which to spend the $50,000, including funding a youth shelter, youth programming, research and gathering data on the first nation's own homeless youth.

This announcement comes on the heels of a Yukon government-announced partnership with Whitehorse youth and first nations organizations aimed at making beds available for homeless youth and extending hours at drop-in facilities, like the Blue Feather Youth Centre.

The pilot project, slated to cost in the $200,000 range, was met with criticism from first nation members and youth themselves.

Of the criticism expressed, one was the need for a more permanent, youth-oriented shelter, as opposed to providing beds in adult treatment facilities.

�There really is some urgency to find safe places for aboriginal kids on the streets to go. It is a big challenge and an incredibly important issue, and we want to be part of the solution,� said Strand.

Studies based on the 2001 and 2006 consensus by Statistics Canada indicate that more aboriginal are moving off first nation-designated lands and into urban centres, as compared with 1981.