FIRST NATION OF NA-CHO Nyäk Dun

For Immediate Release

First Nation sues Yukon and Canada over Eagle Gold Mine Disaster and Systemic Failures to Manage Mining Responsibly

First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun files far-reaching lawsuit against government for Treaty breaches, contributing to Eagle Gold catastrophe, and exacerbating salmon collapse

December 9, 2025— Mayo, Yukon: The First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun (“FNNND”) has filed a ground-breaking lawsuit in the Supreme Court of Yukon against the Yukon Government and Government of Canada. FNNND is seeking justice for longstanding mismanagement of mining by both the federal and territorial government in FNNND’s traditional territory, and a temporary halt on staking to minimize further injury.

“Our Treaty promises we would work together with public government, to make sure that any development on our lands and waters would be sustainable and respectful of our rights. Instead, we have seen our territory destroyed, cyanide and other toxins dumped into our waters, and our salmon populations on the brink of extinction,” said Chief Dawna Hope. “The government authorizes mining with total disregard for our Treaty and our rights, and ignores us when we demand accountability. Enough is enough. This litigation is about holding Canada and Yukon accountable to what they promised us in our Treaty and demanding real action—not just empty words—to protect our lands, our waters, and our children’s futures.”

Yukon manages mining based on laws from the Gold Rush era, which do not reflect the rights and promises in FNNND’s Treaty or within the spirit of Together Today for our Children Tomorrow. The regime fundamentally fails to protect FNNND’s lands, waters, and constitutional rights, while demonstrating to put more value on mining partnerships than Yukon First Nations. FNNND’s Treaty promises FNNND and government would together develop a land use plan to manage activity, including mining, in a responsible and sustainable manner.

“It has been over 30 years since we signed our Treaty, yet more than half of our Traditional Territory does not have any land use plan to manage activity. Instead, Yukon authorizes nearly every project that is proposed, without meaningful consultation with us about how it will affect our rights and ways of living,” said Chief Hope. “This is not acceptable. This is not what our Treaty promises. And it must stop now.”

These failures, in part, led to the devastating Eagle Gold Mine disaster last year, which continues to poison FNNND’s lands and waters. Canada, for its part, has failed to prevent mining from accelerating the catastrophic collapse of salmon—fish that hold deep cultural, spiritual, and ecological significance to FNNND.

This action builds on recent court victories for FNNND, including landmark decisions at the Yukon Supreme Court and Court of Appeal in the Metallic Minerals case, which affirmed FNNND’s right to co-manage the lands and resources within their traditional territory. Yet FNNND is once again forced into court to protect their rights.

Background

The maps below reflect a part of the FNNND traditional territory, for which FNNND and Yukon agreed—at long last—to initiate a regional land use planning process pursuant to FNNND’s Treaty. These maps show the onslaught of mineral activity in this region as of December 5, 2025, as compared to the activity that existed when FNNND signed the Treaty (May 29, 1993).

“This region is the heart of FNNND’s traditional territory. It is the region that is most accessible to our citizens to exercise our rights and practice our culture and ways of living,” Chief Hope said. “Yet this region has been totally taken up by quartz and placer mining activity. Many of our once pristine lands and waters have now been destroyed by mining, authorized by Yukon and Canada with total disregard for our rights, and relationship with our fish, wildlife, lands, and waters.”

For more information, please contact:

Sarah Frey

frey@sarahfrey.ca

1 867 689 8514

Download: Press Release – Filing Statement of Claim (1382-3007-1834.5)

Download: FNNND – Statement of Claim – 9-DEC-2025

Images Credit Below: Razz Routly