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=Yukon Archaeology Program=

Sites of archaeological significance in the Yukon hold some of the earliest evidence of the presence of human occupation in North America. The sites safeguard the history of the first people and the easiest First Nations of the Yukon.

Site Regulations
The Yukon contains more than 3,500 known archaeological sites, spanning the time from the last Ice Age to the building of the Alaskan Highway. The sites can contain anything from basic lithic scatter of stone chips and ancient hearts, or as complex as artifacts from the Gold Rush artifacts or World War II aircraft wrecks.

For these reasons, it can be very difficult to gain permits to excavate and work on these sites. In order to gain a permit to do work on a confirmed archaeological site, two levels of permit provisions must be met:

Class 1: entitles the holder of the permit to survey and document all and any characteristics of the archaeological site, ensuring that the site is not altered or other wise disturbed.

Class 2: entitles the permit holder to:
 * a) Survey and document the characteristics of an archaeological site;
 * b) Excavate an archaeological site;
 * c) Remove archaeological artifacts from an archaeological site;
 * d) Otherwise alter or disturb an archaeological site.

If any person who has broken the Yukon Archaeological Sites Regulations Act, the conditions of any previous permit or other agreement for the search, excavation, or archaeological sites that were issued in any country, they are not entitled to any permit if the contravention has not been solved.

The main purpose and use of the program is for the discovery, preservation/protection, and study of archaeological sites and their artifacts.

Heritage Acts
The archaeological sites are protected under the Archaeological Sites Regulation (O.I.C. 2003/73) and following the Historical Resources Act (R.S.Y. 2002, c. 109) from disturbance, preventing any artifact removal without a permit. The collections which are removed are held in trust by the Government of Yukon for all those of Yukon.

The Yukon Archaeology Program is responsible for managing archaeological sites on Yukon property and assisting First Nations in managing their own archaeological sites on Settlement Lands. The program was founded “to support and fulfill the Government of Yukon’s archaeological resource management and research responsibilities under the Yukon Historic Resources Act, and the Yukon Land Claim Heritage Sub-Agreement,”.

For a complete listing of Heritage Publication, go HERE.

Environmental Assessments/Acts
The program also produces Occasional Papers in Archaeology Series to promote the rapid dissemination of research of the coming field results and information on Yukon’s prehistoric past. This allows the program to participate as a Technical Expert in the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Act in review of the process and works with developers and those with industrial intent to help implement the Best Management Practices for heritage resources.

With the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Act (YESAA) publication in late 2005, all information put under authority of the project or activity assessment review is officially and immediately publically accessible on the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board’s website. To ensure sensitive heritage and archaeological site information is protected, specifically information on the site’s location, it is kept confidential in order to prevent looting. The Yukon Heritage Resources has implemented new measures for managing archaeological site information as a result. What this means is that from here on in, all requests for site information must be consulted by archaeologists, their supporters, or their environmental consultants to assist when project planning in order to gain individual or company permission to make a request to enter into a Site Access License Agreement within the Yukon Heritage Resources, containing provisions for the protection of site information.

In addition to this, there is quite a bit of industrial resource development in the Yukon area, so the legislation, regulation and codes are put in place for when developers wish to mine for oil, gas, (semi)precious metals and minerals, build wilderness tourism, or if general building and house contractors are involved, there is a better chance to ensure the protection of the Yukon’s heritage resources. This is used because historic and heritage resources exist throughout all terrains of the Yukon landscape, including mountain tops, and even under water (such was the case with the “Flying Prostitute”), where there are industrial resources present. In these rough landscapes, the remains of built heritage are extremely fragile due to age, composition – which is frequently wood or other organic materials – location, and weathering. This has caused a lack of inventories and historic resource losses for many regions of the Yukon, for the very remote regions have not been surveyed or documented. By informing the industry work of the legislation in regards to protecting and surveying these remote regions. They developers can assist in heritage protection by becoming informed about heritage resource identification and by implementing site avoidance and safeguarding heritage resources when they are threatened, to help preserve the Yukon’s history. The adoption of “Best Management Practices” for historic resources, Industries can assist the protection and appreciation of the rich heritage the Yukon has to offer.

Aboriginal Involvement
The Yukon Archaeological Program takes on research and inventory of projects, including those of First Nation Final Agreements for Special Management Areas and Heritage Site development. The program also provides information on archaeological resources and price for land usage for planning arising out of First Nation Final Agreements.

Respect and interest with the First Nations was developed in support of cooperative research between the First Nations and the Yukon government while documenting and investigating the Yukon’s prehistoric past. The program provides opportunities for community participation and student training, facilitating the integration of archaeological and spoken history when documenting the regional history. The program also increases public awareness of Yukon First Nations history in the process through publishing a series of popular booklets, and installing small exhibits and displays for schools to use in their education programs, and in First Nations Interpretive Centres. The casts which are used in the displays are made from the original artifacts by the Historic Sites Unit Restoration and Reproduction Specialist.

Triggers
Taken from the Yukon Historic Resources Act:
 * (1)“The purpose of this Act is to promote the appreciation of the Yukon’s historic resources and to provide for the protection and preservation, the orderly development, and the study and interpretation of those resources .”
 * (2)“In the event of conflict in operation between a provision of this Act and a provision of a land claims agreement or self-government agreement then, to the extent of the conflict, the provision of the land claims agreement or self-government agreement prevails and the provision of this Act is inoperative".

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