Teslin Tlingit Council in Yukon establishing its own laws and justice system
CBC
The Teslin Tlingit Council is moving toward establishing its own court and corrections system.
The First Nation in the Yukon is in the final stages of negotiating funding with the federal government, and has set an implementation date for 2027.
According to Kooxuhan-Georgina Sydney, the Teslin Tlingit Council justice implementation coordinator, the First Nation has accepted a funding offer from the federal government. Now, the executive council is waiting for it to return from the federal Treasury Board so they can get to work upholding their own laws.
"If somebody breaks our law, they'll go to our court," said Sydney.
The Teslin Tlingit Council has been working toward establishing a two-stage court system since it signed its self-government agreement in 1995 and its administration of justice agreement in 2011.
The First Nation has already established a peacemaker court where mediation services are provided. The first chief peacemaker was appointed in 2014.
Now, this most recent agreement will fund the second stage.
A court will be established to hold trials and hear evidence in adjudicating Teslin Tlingit law. The First Nation has jurisdiction under its self-government agreement to write laws related to land management, including hunting, habitat protection, prevention of overcrowding and land development. It also has jurisdiction over adoption, inheritance, wills and the solemnization of marriage.
There will also be a corrections system established with a healing camp on the land, counselling and community support.
According to Sydney, holistic support has long been missing from the justice system.
"In mainstream justice, you go to court, you pay a fine or go to jail. That's it," Sydney said. "We're providing healing services to our people, so they won't go back to jail. A lot of our issues right now is that people don't have that available to them."
The Teslin Tlingit's justice model is rooted in its traditional form of government and its clan system.
"We're holistic in our nature," Sydney said. "It's hard for us to separate justice from our government — it's all a part of it."
There are five clans: frog, raven, wolf, split-tail beaver and eagle. Each clan has a representative on the Teslin Tlingit justice council.
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