11 Aug Yukon First Nations Launch Groundbreaking Report on National Defence and Security
The Yukon Assembly of First Nations (AFN Yukon), in partnership with the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN), released a landmark report that redefines how Yukon First Nations are engaged in national defence and Arctic security.
Titled Yukon First Nations Defence and Security: Prioritizing Sovereignty, Preparedness, and Partnership, the report brings forward three years of work to elevate Yukon First Nations’ vision, leadership, and calls to action in the defence and security space – a domain traditionally defined by federal institutions and industry, but now increasingly being shaped by Indigenous rights holders.
“If Canada wants to protect the North, it must partner with those who have been protecting it for generations,” said Regional Chief Adamek. “This report is a call to action. To move from words to partnerships, from promises to shared plans.”
“This project stands as a model for how Indigenous-led engagement on defence and security can happen, with First Nations at the forefront, recognized not as stakeholders but as full partners in shaping solutions,” says Dr. P. Whitney Lacknbauer, NAADSN network lead. “Yukon First Nations shared clear priorities that not only reflect their own needs but strengthen Canada’s ability to navigate today’s complex security environment. NAADSN is proud to have supported this collaboration, and we hope this work helps shift how defence engagement is done across the North.”
Read the statement here.
Read the report here.