Carcross/Tagish First Nation Héen/Tū Strategy and Action Plan
Héen/Tū (“water”) is a priority for the Tagish and Tlingit people of Carcross/Tagish First Nation (C/TFN). The citizens of C/TFN have inherent water rights and responsibilities to water as a relative that flow from Haa Héen Ḵusteeyí (“our water ways” in Tlingit). Revitalizing Haa Héen Ḵusteeyí, Tūndā (“watches the water or water eye” in Tagish)[1] and other aspects of Tagish and Tlingit language, culture, and relationships with water as a living entity are fundamental to advancing water governance within C/TFN’s Traditional Territory in Yukon and British Columbia.
The C/TFN Héen/Tū Strategy and Action Plan was developed between 2019 and 2025, through a deliberative, clan- and moiety-based process that involved representatives of all six C/TFN Clans (Ishkahittaan, Dak’laweidi, Deisheetaan, Kookhittaan, Yanÿeidí, and Gaanaxteidí and two Moieties (Wolf and Crow).
[1] A Tagish language phrase gifted to C/TFN from the eagle at the mouth of King Salmon River (McClintock River) during a ceremony on August 15th, 2023 (story as told and recorded by Colleen James).
“The laws that we have for water are in the clan houses. Those kinds of things are important because we need to respect water.”
~ Stanley James (Dak’laweidi), 2012
"Woosh een yei ch'u tooneiyi haa gooxlatseen"
If we work together we're going to be strong
~ Winnie Atlin (Ishkahittaan), 2015
“We don't go separate, we go as a whole. We leave no one out, we move together. Working together has brought new ways of doing things. Mind, body, soul, as complete human beings – go as humans together.”
~ Patrick James (Dak’laweidi), 2020
Our Strategy
Vision
Héen/Tū (Water) within our traditional territory should be forever flowing clean, healthy and respected for everything including humans, land, air, fire, animals, fish, plants, birds and insects.
Principles
C/TFN’s approach to protecting water will be guided by the following principles:
Flow from our Ha Kus Téeyi (“Our Way”) and Tūndā (“watches the water or water eye” in Tagish) including Tagish and Tlingit knowledge, language, law, ceremony, and story.
Ensure respect and reciprocity with water as a living entity.
Acknowledge water and land are not separate because “we are all part of the land and part of the water.”
Use Indigenous and Western knowledge.
Engage moieties & clans in discussion to know how we should protect water.
Foster relationships and collaboration with other parties.
Goals
The strategy has two interrelated goals:
Water for the health of the land and our more than human relatives
Sustain and restore healthy water including quality, quantity, and flows for the health of the land and all living beings including animals, fish, plants, birds, and insects.
Water for the spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental health of human beings
Maintain and restore relationships with water for the spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental health of human beings including the availability of healthy water and the Tagish and Tlingit knowledge about our relationship with it.
Strategic Priorities
The strategy has four strategic priorities:
Develop and implement C/TFN Water Governance strategies rooted in the revitalization of Tagish and Tlingit water law, knowledge, language, and ceremony.
Gather Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science on the past, current, and future states of water quality, quantity and flows in C/TFN’s TT.
Advance C/TFN capacity to research, monitor, and protect water.
Build relationships with other parties who are interested in protecting water.
“Clan & discussion are the things we will need to know how we should protect water.”
~Norman James (Dak’laweidi), 2019
This research was conducted as part of the C/TFN Water Governance project and funded by the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, the Canada Research Chairs Program, and the University of Manitoba.