Yukon gov't falling short on election promise, says First Nation development corp.

It's been nearly a year since the Yukon Liberal Party swept to power, promising a renewed relationship with the territory's First Nations.

But according to one First Nation development corporation, the honeymoon is over. The Ta'anKwch'nCouncil's DaDaghayDevelopment Corporationsays it's been frustrated by resistanceto its aims, from within the government.

The corporation owns several businesses and commercial properties, and also owns and operates XY Charlie Crew, which is a training camp forwildlandfirefighters.

BenAsquith, the corporation's chief executive officer, says he had great hopes for new economic opportunities after hearing the Liberals' repeatedly promise that they would honour First Nations' final agreements.

"This political party said they were going to do a lot of different things. [They] haven't really reached out, and said 'hey, how do we work with you?'" Asquith said.

"They did say that they were going to run on 'spirit and intent' of the final agreementthey did say these things."

11 Yukon First Nations have signed final agreements with the federal and territorial government. Those agreements includethe all-important chapter 22, which contains provisions specifically designed to enable First Nations to access government contracts.

'We want to be heard'

Asquith says Premier Sandy Silver promised a strong focus on reconciliation, and he says that includes opening the path to economic diversity and prosperity for First Nations, especially through agencies such as development corporations.

He says there's a lot of potential for growth, but he isn't seeing that right now.

"With this government, it seems like the bureaucracy is leading the politicians and it's the same bureaucracy that was in place under the old government. We want the message that is being said at the political level to come down to the bureaucratic level, and actions to move forward," he said.

"We feel we have good ideas, and we've brought them forward and we want to be heard."

In May, Asquithsent a strongly-worded emailto Silver and Community Services Minister John Streicker, pleadingfor help. He argued that First Nations members should be more involved in fire management in the territory.

"I am sensitive to the fact that making progress on the First Nations fire contracts will be very challenging for you because your management and employees in this area do not believe in it," he wrote.

"The failing in the previous government on this particular issue was to permit a culture to exist that borders on racism. The racial profiling has resulted in a nearly all white [Yukon government]crews and fire management."

Asquithalso referred to a "general sense of entitlement" among the ranks of government crews and managers which he called "frightening".

The email suggestedthe issue might be referred tothe territory's ombudsman.

'Not asking for a handout'

Asquith says Da Daghayfully expects to grow,and he says wildland fire management is an obvious place to develop.The 2017/18 territorial budget earmarks $16.1 millionfor fire management in the territory.

"We're not asking for more money. We're not asking for a handout. We want to stay within the government's budget,or less than the budget," he said.

"There's no need to be importing any firefighters into the territorywe have enough resources here to be able to be dealing with our own forest fires. We feel that Yukoners can be fighting their own fires, and we can help train up Yukoners to take on all these jobs, and to provide the support services."

Asquithsays the ball is in the court of Silver and his caucus.

"Are we trying to work together or are we not? Are we trying to uphold the spirit and intent of the final agreement, are we trying to work together, are we trying to move the Yukon into a new industry, are we trying to help Yukon First Nation youth in communities?"

More discussion needed, minister says

Community Services Minister John Streicker says further discussions need to happen, at the end of the wildfire season.

"Have I had a few conversations with the dev. corps about it coming up? Yes," Streickersaid.

"So in the meantime, what I've done is I've asked the department to go and do some of the groundwork, to find where are the challenges, where are the wins, and that's what they've done."

Responding to questions about Asquith's May email that referred to "racist"attitudes within the fire management branch, Streicker would say only that he had discussions with his senior management.

He alsosays the government remains committed to respecting the final agreements.

"There's some work to do. It's work that we believe is ongoing," he said.

"Do we want to live up to the spirit and intent? For sure. What is that spirit and intent? Well, who's going to help me understand that? So again, that would be part of this whole discussion that goes on with the First Nations."