Amid wetlands and stunning mountains, at the crossroads of caribou and bird migration routes, is the point where the Pelly and Ross rivers meet. Its name is Tū Łī́dlini, which means “where the rivers meet” in the Kaska language.

“Across from the mouth is where our people used to gather for thousands of years,” Roberta Dick, councillor for the Ross River Dena Council, explained. “People from the Northwest Territories and all over central Yukon would come there and gather and meet and have hand games and dances.”

Today, Ross River is still home to Kaska people, but the landscape has been disturbed in recent decades by mining. The presence of Kaska people has also been disturbed, as they were displaced from Tū Łī́dlini during colonization. Still, the region remains important to the community and the Ross River Dena Council has been working to keep it safe for future generations.

On Dec. 6, Tū Łī́dlini came one step closer to being formally protected and co-managed by the Ross River Dena Council, the Yukon government and federal government. The council, territorial government and Parks Canada signed a memorandum of understanding to work together and assess the feasibility of establishing an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area which would span 40,902 square kilometres — bigger than Vancouver Island, Belgium or Lake Erie.

In a statement, Chief Dylan Loblaw said, “Ross River Dena Council is pleased to be advancing efforts to finalize our IPCA Declaration within our Ross River Area. This Declaration is issued pursuant to our Indigenous laws, and will help ensure our rights, interests and values are properly respected in this important area.”

The proposed protected area is home to the at-risk Finlayson caribou herd, which are part of the northern mountain woodland caribou listed as a species of special concern under the federal Species At Risk Act. The area also encompasses ancient village sites and a group trapline built in the 1800s, and many sites that are sacred to the nation.

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