The legacy of matriarchs in the Yukon First Nations Kluane Adamek
(Southern Tutchone and Tlingit)
Hello, my name is Kluane Adamek,
and I am from the Dakl’aweidi
Killer Whale clan.
My Tlingit name is Aagé,
and it’s so important to acknowledge
(Traditional language), our grandparents.
I’m joining you
from the traditional territory
of the Kwanlin Dün and Ta’an First Nations
in the Yukon territory.
(Traditional language) Thank you.
(English) Thank you.
I shared a little bit about myself
in my traditional languages
of Southern Tutchone and Tlingit.
I continue to learn who we are
as Yukon First Nations people.
We are a people that deeply value,
honor and respect the roles of women.
We always have.
We’re a matrilineal culture.
And so, traditionally, our matriarchs
would often guide and direct
the speakers of the people,
otherwise known as the chiefs.
This important role
of forging trade relationships,
forging marriage alliances
and ensuring that all of the business
that needed to take place in
the community was happening
was all guided and directed
by our matriarchs.
I definitely continue to see the ways
in which we lead here in the Yukon
not quite being aligned nationally.
What do I mean by that?
Well, to be clear,
misogyny and patriarchy
are definitely not reflective
of who we are as Yukon First Nations
or of the traditional structures
and the ways in which we respect
women in decision-making.
And so I saw these gaps
and felt we need to have
more women at the table.
We need to have different
generations at the table.
And so, this is where
I had to get a bit vulnerable.
I had to really look to myself to say,
“If not me, then who?”
And so I submitted my name
to become the Yukon Regional Chief,
knowing that I come from a strong people
that continues to value and uphold women,
and knowing that
the voice that I would bring
would be a voice that will
be supported by my region.
But furthermore,
knowing that in every and any place
where decisions are being made for women,
or those who identify,
how important it is that women
are in every place and space
to be part of those decisions.
And so I gave myself permission
to put my name forward
and to know that yes, I can serve;
that yes, this was the best way
for me to take action
and to know that my voice
needed to be heard
in the same way that other male voices
were heard from across this country.
There aren’t any prerequisites
to being a leader.
It’s not about having a title
or being in a specific role.
Leadership is about showing up
who you are, as you are,
being authentic,
leading from a place
of values and principles,
and leading from that place,
and staying true to yourself.
And so some might say,
“Well, you’re in an elected position.
What do you mean?”
Yes, I hear you.
There’s some irony in that.
But let me explain.
Contribution is the most important thing.
For me, joining an executive
of predominantly men,
creating a space in my office
where other indigenous
women could learn and lead,
it was all about creating that space,
and by celebrating
and acknowledging and contributing.
There’s a story that dates
back to over 10,000 years ago.
And the way that the story
was shared with me is this:
The Killer Whale people, the Dakl’aweidi,
came to this insurmountable, huge glacier.
They were traveling to make it back
to their traditional homelands.
And so they came to this glacier
and they didn’t know
where they were going to go.
Were they going to try
to climb and go above?
Were they going to try to follow it
and see how far long it went?
It was the matriarchs
that said, “We’ll go.
We see a small opening there,
and so we’re going to go,
and we’re going to try to go through it.”
They didn’t know if they would survive.
They didn’t know
if they’d make it through.
But they were fearless.
And that is who we are.
We are fearless because we understand
the power of reciprocity.
We understand that it’s important
to leave things in a better state
and place than when we found them.
We understand that the importance
of connecting to the land
and expressing gratitude
is truly what grounds us
and gives us the power
and the abilities we have to lead.
Think of when you’re walking
by the water, for example.
Take a moment of gratitude
to thank the water
for all that it gives you,
to thank the land for giving you
everything you need.
It’s always about making sure
that you’re leaving things
in a better place and space
than when you found them.
It’s about contribution.
All of us as women
have been through so much.
And so this is about us finding ways
to be supportive of each other.
It’s about always making sure
that we’re making that contribution
and investment in the future generations.
That is about reciprocity.
There’s so much that we
can share with the world
and that the world can
learn from us as women.
These are the challenges that we have
for this future generation,
and these are the challenges
that we need to accept together.
We need to give ourselves the permission
to step into our own power.
We need to give ourselves
the permission to connect
and to express gratitude to the land.
And we need to give ourselves
the permission to take care of ourselves,
because if we’re not being taken care of,
then how are we going
to contribute to everybody else?
Gunalchéesh. Thank you.