Protecting the Peel: Earth Day Reflections

As a Yukon based business rooted in Northern Tutchone values, Earth Day is a reminder of the strong relationship we carry with the land, the water, and all living things. Our actions are guided by the teachings of our Elders as we move through the world with intention and care. This year, Earth Day arrives with hope rippling through our homelands.

In the traditional territories of the Gwich’in and the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, something truly meaningful is unfolding. The Gwich'in Tribal Council, Na-Cho Nyäk Dun First Nation, Parks Canada, and the Yukon Government have entered the feasibility stage of establishing a new national park—over 3,000 square kilometres of protected land in the Teetł’it Gwinjik (Peel River) Watershed.

(Photo Credit: Peter Mather)

The protection of this area is a vision long held by our people. These lands are rich in traditional trails, sacred gathering places, and ancestral knowledge. This region includes the Turner Lake wetlands, the Caribou River, and a large stretch of the Peel River Corridor—places where stories live, where our families have hunted, fished, gathered, and found peace for generations.

The Peel has always been a stronghold of life. It’s where the Porcupine caribou herd winters before traveling to its calving grounds in Alaska. It’s home to clean waters, vibrant wetlands, and the medicines we use in our self-care practices. These lands, still largely untouched by roads and development, are vital not only to the wildlife that roam them, but to the spirit and health of our communities.

The movement to protect this area didn’t begin yesterday. It’s the result of decades of resistance, advocacy, and love for the land. From legal battles that reached the Supreme Court to the collaborative agreements that followed, our Nations have never stopped fighting for the right to protect what matters most. In recent years, many mining claims have been relinquished, and today, there’s real momentum to create one of the strongest forms of land protection possible through a national park designation.

As we reflect on this day, we give thanks to the land. It provides the plants we infuse into our self-care items. Without clean ecosystems, our creations are not possible.

This Earth Day, we celebrate not just the beauty of the Yukon, but the strength of Indigenous-led conservation efforts. We honour the generations who have protected the Peel, and the future generations who will continue to walk the trails and feel the quiet power of these sacred places.

We are proud to walk alongside this movement and share this story. May this season of renewal remind us all that the Earth is a relative - one that deserves our care, our protection, and our gratitude.

We take care of the land  //  Nän sóthän ka nahʼté