Taku River Tlingit FN challenges Yukon over campground

The TakuRiverTlinglit First Nation is taking the Yukon Government to court over a planned campground at Atlin Lake, sayingthe plan ignores the First Nation'sconstitutional rights.

John Ward, a member of theTakuRiverTlingit, says unless the government consults at a treaty level, the First Nation's constitutional rights are being breached.

"[We're] viewing this as one of the last straws after so many things have taken place with theTakuRiver Tlingit regarding the treaty," he said.

"We would forever lose the access to that land, to use it for our way of life. That's just about it in a nutshell. We'd be forced to pay fees to go there."

Ward says taking the government to court is the only way to ensure his First Nation retains itsrights. He says they want the government to negotiate a land settlement with the First Nation before building any campgrounds.

LesleyMcCullough, Yukon'sassistant deputy minister of justice, says the government consulted in the same way it would on any treaty land.

"We have and continue to consult First Nation governments regularly on a wide range of subjects in order to fulfilour legal obligations," she said.

Ward says the problem is that the consultation process didn't take into account the Taku River Tlingit's way of doing things.

The campground is planned to open in May 2015.