Yeendoo Diinehdoo Ji?heezrit Nits?oo Ts?o? Nan He?aa Declaration

Preamble In respect of the future generations as laid out in the Ni?inlii
Declaration of the Gwitchin Nation and the United Nations Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In respect of the wealth of healthy animals, lands,
and waters left to this generation as the birthright of the generations to come, we
recognize and respect this with the Yeendoo Diinehdoo Ji?heezrit Nits?oo Ts?o? Nan
He?aa Declaration in acknowledgement of our planet?s climate crisis.

Whereas the Vuntut Gwitchin of Old Crow and our traditional territory have
witnessed drastic changes in the land and animals which are only being confirmed
by recent science, some of which reporting that the Canadian North?s annual
average temperature has increased by 2.3 degrees Celsius with profound
implications for our peOple, community, lands, waters, animals, and way of life,

Recognizing our duty to the past, present and future generations of all living
beings to continue to respect the truth of the land through the continuation of
Gwitchin culture that teaches us how to live with this world in a way that provides
us with healthy animals, lands, waters, ecosystems, and populations,

Acknowledging the traditional knowledge of our elders which is supported by
the findings of the United Nation?s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change?s
?Special Report on Global Warming of and that preventing the rise of
global temperatures above 1.5 degree Celsius requires unprecedented reduction
of global greenhouse gas emissions,

Considering Indigenous peoples? cultures and values are from the land itself
and that populations of other local Arctic, coastal and agricultural communities
are disproportionately more vulnerable to the adverse impacts of the changing
climate and the first to experience them directly,

Concerned that Indigenous peoples voices and lands are not being heard while
our responsibility is to our lands and current State?led responses to climate
change around the world are not sufficiently responsive to the dire circumstances
already being directly experienced and the implications for the health of animal
populations, food security, as well as our communities emotional, cultural, and
physical well-being

Yeendoo Diinehdoo Ji?heezrit Nits?oo Ts?o? Nan He?aa Declaration

Emphasizing that Indigenous peoples and local Arctic, coastal and agricultural
communities have vast and unique knowledge systems, practices and
technologies for mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change as the
worlds? most environmentally conscious inhabitants while our voices are missing
from national and international public stages, and

Affirming the right of Indigenous peoples to self?determination, including
Indigenous rights related to lands, waters and resources, and the imperative that
Indigenous peoples be central to every effort for mitigating and adapting to
climate change at local to international scales.

Therefore the Vuntut Gwitchin Council, gathered on May 19, 2019 at the
village of Old Crow, Yukon within the territory of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
and other concerned actors adhering to this declaration hereby:

Declare that climate change constitutes a state of emergency for our lands,
waters, animals and people, and that we will accordingly utilize our local, national
and international forums and partnerships to achieve meaningful progress
towards the Paris Accord and the inception of an Indigenous Climate Accord that
shall call for coordinated efforts with our relatives around the world, and

to Action local, national and international communities, governments,
organizations and movements to respect the traditional knowledge of indigenous
peoples as well as established science and utilize all available powers, resources
and abilities to coordinate and mobilize efforts to prevent the rise of global
temperatures above 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrialized levels.

As hereby ratified and made effective by the Council of the Vuntut
Gwitchin First Nation in accordance with its responsibility under the Constitution
of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation to protect the history, culture, values,
traditions and rights of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation:

Yeendoo Diinehdoo Ji?heezrit Nits?oo Ts?o? Nan He?aa Declaration



 

 

Deputy Chief Cheryl J. Charlie

7%

Couneillor Councillor/Marvin Frost Jr.

 

 

4%

Councillor Darius Elias Witness