This is a joint news release between the Government of Yukon and Kluane First Nation.
Today, Deputy Premier and Minister of Education Jeanie McLean, Kluane First Nation Chief Bob Dickson and Minister of Highways and Public Works Nils Clarke all joined a community celebration of the future site for the Kêts’ádań Kų̀ school build project in Burwash Landing.
Current Kluane Lake School students also participated in the day’s festivities and brought contributions for a time capsule that will be buried on the school grounds during future construction.
With the trees now cleared from the future build site and the current school year ending, the community came together to celebrate the partnership between the Government of Canada, Government of Yukon and Kluane First Nation. This collaborative partnership is continuing to move the Kêts’ádań Kų̀ school project forward, which will better serve children and families in the community for years to come.
The progress we have made thus far on the Kêts’ádań Kų̀ project is a testament to the power of collaboration, shared vision and reconciliation in action. Through our joint efforts, we can cultivate a future where the children of Burwash Landing interweave academic success with strong cultural foundations.
Kluane First Nation has worked for many years to realize the vision of having our Kêts’ádań Kų̀ in Burwash Landing, near the shores of LHÙ’ÀÀN MÂN. Standing with our partners on this cleared site, is a significant milestone that honours those that have come before us as well as future generations of Kluane First Nation citizens.
We know education plays an important role in building prosperous, resilient and sustainable Indigenous communities. The celebration in Burwash Landing confirms our commitment and partnership to the children, families and citizens of Kluane First Nation for the new Kêts’ádań Kų̀.
This project showcases what can be accomplished through authentic cooperation and partnership. Our governments have worked together closely on every aspect of this project to ensure that Kêts’ádań Kų̀ aligns with the community’s vision and needs both now and in the future. We will continue to build on our government-to-government relationship throughout this project.
-
In the Southern Tutchone language of Kluane First Nation, “Kêts’ádań Kų̀” means “house of learning” and it is a phrase that bears weight of the community’s long-standing request for a new school to be built in Burwash Landing.
-
For more than 60 years, the existing Kluane Lake School – located in Destruction Bay – has been populated primarily by students residing in or near Burwash Landing who have had to rely on buses to get to and from school.
-
In the Government of Yukon’s 2023-24 Five-year Capital Plan, an estimated budget of $20-28 million was included for a new school in Burwash Landing. The final value to build the school will not be determined until the procurement phase concludes.
-
In February 2023, the Kluane Lake School community voted in a referendum to transition to the authority of the First Nation School Board in the 2023-24 school year. The Kêts’ádań Kų̀ school build project will continue to move forward after this transition.
Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca
Krisandra Reid
Communications, Department of Education
Government of Yukon
867-336-0653
krisandra.reid@yukon.ca
Brittany Cross
Communications, Department of Highways and Public Works
Government of Yukon
867-332-4601
brittany.cross@yukon.ca
Kluane First Nation
For media requests with Kluane First Nation, please contact the Government of Yukon (krisandra.reid@yukon.ca), as listed above.