Teslin, Yukon

The community of Teslin includes the Village of Teslin in Yukon, Canada. Teslin is situated at historical Mile 804 on the Alaska Highway along Teslin Lake. The Hudson's Bay Company established a small trading post at Teslin in 1903 (i.e. Teslin Post). In the 2011 census, the population of the village was 122, a decrease of 13.5% from the 2006 census, and that of the reserve was 138, a decrease of 11.5% from 2006.

Teslin is home to the Teslin Inland Tlingit First Nation. The name Teslin came from a Tlingit word "Teslintoo." Teslin has one of the largest Native populations in Yukon. Much of the community's livelihood revolves around traditional hunting, trapping and fishing.

Teslin is made up of two moieties; Wolf and Crow. Under the moiety of Wolf there are two clans; Eagle (Dakhl'awedi') and Wolf (Yanyedi). The Crow moiety have three clans; Raven's Children (Kukhhittan or Crow), Frog (Ishkitan) and Split tail Beaver (Deshitan). Under their matrilineal kinship system, children are considered born into the mother's clan, and descent is traced through her line.

In 1995 the Teslin Inland Tlingit negotiated and signed a land claims agreement with the federal government, under which they re-established their own government and became self-sustaining. The Teslin Inland Tlingit now enact their own legal and political framework for government-to-government relations with Canada and the Yukon.

The Teslin Tlingit Council have the right to make their own laws and regulations. There are many different departments within Teslin Tlingit Council (TTC), for example: Finance, Lands and Resources, Health and Social.

The people have developed the Teslin Tlingit Council Clan System Government, which combines traditional Tlingit Clan culture with contemporary organizational and management principles. The five clans (Eagle, Crow, Frog, Wolf, and Beaver) each appoint five members to the 25-member General Council, and have recognized Elders (persons 58 years and older) on the Elders Council.

...
Wikipedia