For Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, heritage, culture, language, and land are inseparable. Heritage includes oral histories and songs, the wildlife, plants, and medicines that people harvest; artefacts and specific sites; and connected, intact landscapes and waterways in which these are embedded. Places, objects, and other beings significant to heritage and culture may or may not be recognizable through a western “heritage” lens.

This Plan acknowledges and affirms Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s right to define heritage-related terms and the appropriate means of protecting them on the landscape, as they have done through their own heritage legislation, which land users are encouraged to read. This also aligns with Article 11 of UNDRIP.

When following historic lifeways, the Hän people in the Region migrated with the seasons and movements of animals, generating stories and teachings embedded in the land throughout the Traditional Territory and beyond. Access to all these places remains important even where land use or the land itself has changed, because to go to these places is to revisit the past, as well as to occupy the present and the future. Stories of place are often the reason we know that landscape change has occurred.

In this way, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s relationship with the land benefits all residents by enriching the landscape with meaning and giving a deep-time perspective that parallels disciplines like paleontology, archaeology, and geology. Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s heritage is not a thing of the past, as might be understood based on a Western view of “heritage”; it is living and dynamic, simultaneously the stories of their ancestors, the stories being crafted by today’s people and those that will be told by future generations. The Plan embraces a broad temporal understanding of culture and heritage.

The relationship between culture, heritage, and the land is at the core of why land-based decisions are so important for Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, as effects on the land ripple through the people in a more direct way than for those who are less culturally connected to place. The Plan encourages stewardship by all residents and visitors to the Region, regardless of their capacity on the land, as part of respecting this relationship.

Colonial disruption of historic lifeways means that knowledge and documentation of past land use are incomplete, and new resources and sites are discovered regularly, including during land development, mineral exploration, and mineral development activities. Therefore, a cautious approach to land use and resource development is required. As land use and development in the Region increase, potential impacts to heritage resources also increase. Strong community relationships help ensure these discoveries are responded to in a good way, alongside adherence to existing regulations and the Plan’s stewardship directions.

Chapter 13 of the THFA lists heritage routes and sites that are important to Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, which Regional Planning Commissions must account for when developing a regional land use plan (THFA 13.4.6.4, Schedule A and Schedule C). Mapping exercises were conducted during the planning process to identify additional sites of cultural importance. Specific heritage-related locations are included in the Plan at the discretion of Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in; however, all known sites and routes informed LMU boundaries, designations, and stewardship directions.

The protection and conservation of elements of Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in heritage and culture are crucial for maintaining traditional economies, supporting healthy land–people relationships, and allowing for ongoing cultural practices. They also provide all of the Region’s residents with a deeper sense of place and contribute much to the experience and understanding of place for visitors to the Region.

The Plan employs Hän language throughout the Plan, notably in LMU names provided by Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in (Section 6), names of places and landscape features on maps, important concepts like Tr’ëhudè, and values. Incorporating Hän language is an expression of respect for Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s worldview, culture, and relationship with the land. Words are important and often hold knowledge that cannot be easily translated into another language.

While the Plan is written largely in English, using Hän language where available sets the stage for increasing Hän content in the future, and makes the Plan a vehicle for supporting language revitalization. This is a small but important step in reconciliation. Language is ever evolving, and the words used in the Plan may change over time as Hän is further revived (Section 1.2). To learn more, see resources listed in Appendix 1.

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