Community Conversations at the Heart of the Jurisdiction Journey

The jurisdiction project is on the road! Community relationship building and dialogue sessions kicked off in the spring and are making their way through the territory.

Initial sessions have been hosted with Stellat’en, Yekooche and Takla with more on the way. All community members—from children to Elders— are invited to join the conversation and share their vision for the future of child and family services.

These conversations have a key role in guiding the development of services and programming across communities. Participants are provided with an overview of the jurisdiction project and space to share stories, connect through experiences, and have a say on what they want to see for the next generations of Yinka Dene.

As of June 2025, our team has documented 421 ideas shared by community members at scheduled sessions. You may have also spotted booths at health fairs and AGAs collecting ‘drop-in’ responses about what children need to thrive. This dialogue is being shared with CSFS leadership to document current challenges, community needs, and shared dreams for the future.

When we talk about ‘jurisdiction’, what we are really talking about is traditional governance. As Yinka Dene, we never surrendered our right to make decisions about our children. The child and family wellbeing law being developed together with communities will not be new to our people; we are reawakening the laws that wrapped children in the love and protection of their culture, clan, and community long before colonial policies came to these lands.

This is only the beginning of an ongoing conversation. We look forward to visiting each community and moving this good work forward together.