Taku River Tlingit First Nation [Wenah Specific Claim Inquiry] - March 2006

In June 2002, the First Nation requested that the Commission conduct an inquiry into Canada’s rejection of this claim, which involves the creation of a townsite on traditional Wenah lands. A planning conference was scheduled for December 2002, but was cancelled owing to Canada’s decision not to participate in the inquiry because, it stated, the claim did not fit the criteria of the Specific Claims Policy.

The Commission convened a series of conference calls with the First Nation, Canada, and representatives from the Federal Treaty Negotiation Office. Once it was determined that the issues were not before the comprehensive claims negotiations table, the Commission advised the parties that it was prepared to pursue an inquiry. In June 2003, the parties were informed that the inquiry would be continued. However, in September, Canada advised both the First Nation and the Commission that it would not participatebecause the claim was not within the realm of the Specific Claims Policy. A planning conference was held with the First Nation in January 2004 to determine the scope of the inquiry. A community session has been scheduled for May 2004, with final legal submissions due by the end of the summer of 2004.

In March 2006, the Commission published its report in which the panel recommended that the government accept this claim for negotiation.

To download the press release

To download the report