VISION STATEMENT

We, the Nàtthe Youth Council of CAFN,
are the voice dedicated to empowering our youth. 
We “shall promote a healthy, unified and self-reliant people,
while conserving and enhancing our environment and culture.”

The Youth Council has a new name, Nátthe, which means “proceeding/moving ahead”.  They picked the name and got lots of other business done during the September 9 Youth Council meeting.  Dustin Mazur was selected as the chair of the Youth Council for the next six months.  The Council passed their “Rules of Order”, which lays out their structure, roles, and responsibilities.  Consistent youth representatives (ages 16-23) are still needed for the Whitehorse, Champagne and Akshihik/Canyon areas.  Please contact us if you are interested!  Youth of all ages are also welcome to participate in Nátthe Youth Council meetings.Youth Councillors have many great ideas for future Youth Council training, including holding visioning and fundraising workshops.  They also look forward to developing a youth newsletter and web page.

CAFN Youth Programs Website:

www.youthjunction.org

November 13 –14 , CAFN Youth General Assembly,  entertainment Thursday evening, November 13, and full day of GA business and fun Friday, November 14.  Please call Mike Evans at 634-2012 for more info.

For more information on the Youth Council, please check out their Rules of Procedure and minutes from their recent meetings, or contact Lilly Smith at lsmith@cafn.ca or 634-4204, or Amy McKinnon at amymckinnon@northwestel.net.

Youth Council Minutes - July 23, 2007

Youth Council Minutes - Sept 9, 2007

Youth Council Report - June 18, 2006

 

CHAMPAGNE & AISHIHIK FIRST NATIONS

 THE RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE YOUTH COUNCIL

Preamble

  • WE, THE YOUTH of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, desire to enhance and empower our role within the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations through the development of rules of procedure that will set out the structure of the Youth Council. (Could add Youth Council Vision Statement here)

  • These rules are established pursuant to section 63 of the Constitution.

Title

These rules of procedure may be cited as The Rules of Procedure for the Youth Council.

Definitions

  • “Constitution” means the Constitution of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations 2000 .

  • “immediate family’ means the mother, father, children and brothers and sisters of the youth.

  • The definitions of the Constitution shall also apply to these rules of procedure.

Authority

  • The Youth Council may make decisions as set out in the Constitution or established in the laws of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations. All activities and decisions of the Youth Council shall be in accordance with the laws of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and these rules of procedure.

Membership

  • In accordance with the Constitution, the Council is made up of all citizens who are between sixteen and twenty-three years of age.

  • The Youth Council shall establish an executive of the Council which shall consist of six (6) youth plus two alternates. The Youth Councillor shall sit as an ex-offico member of the executive.

  • The six Executive members should be representative of the following communities:

a) Takhini
b) Whitehorse
c) Champagne
d) Aishihik/Canyon
e) Haines Junction
f) Haines/Klukshu

  • The term of each member and alternate on the Executive for the Youth Council will be two years.

  • The Executive and alternates will be paid an honoraria of $125 per full-day meeting or $75 for a half-day meeting. Reimbursement of expenses incurred shall be made in accordance with approved CAFN travel rates.

  • Except for the role of the Youth Councillor which is set out in section 8, if a citizen holds office as a Councillor of the First Nations Council, that citizen shall not sit on the Executive of the Youth Council, during the time that he or she holds the office of Councillor.

Meetings

  • The Youth Council shall hold a minimum of one youth general assembly per year.

  • The Executive shall hold a minimum of four meeting per year, which are open to all youth.

  • Before any meeting of the Youth Council or the Executive, a public notice of the date, time and location of the meeting shall be posted 14 days before the meeting, in the main administration buildings of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations located in Whitehorse and Haines Junction. Notice of the Youth Council or Executive meeting will be mailed to all youth, posted in the CAFN newsletter, and posted at schools in the CATT.

Chair

  • The Executive shall appoint a member of the Executive to be a chair to oversee the activities of the Executive and to undertake any responsibilities set out in these rules for a term of ? year (s).

  • The chair shall be responsible for

a) calling the meetings of the Youth Council and Executive;
b) providing direction to support staff;
c) chairing the meetings of the Executive and the Youth Council; and
d) any other duties or direction set out in these rules of procedure or as directed by the Executive and Youth Council.

Support staff

  • There may be support staff for the Youth Council and Executive, as identified by the Executive.

  • The support staff shall be responsible for

a) notifying members of the Youth Council of upcoming meetings;
b) coordinating the meetings of the Executive and Youth Council;
c) maintaining the records of the Youth Council and its Executive;
d) forwarding recommendations of the Youth Council or Executive to the appropriate departments or Chief and Council; and
e) undertaking any other duties and direction as set out in these rules of procedure or identified by the or Youth Council or its Executive.

Meetings open to citizens

  • Meeting of the Youth Council and its Executive shall be open to citizen to attend as an observer. No citizen shall be excluded except in accordance with these rules of procedure.

  • A citizen who does not respect these rules of procedure or direction of the Youth Council or its Executive shall be directed, by the chair, to leave the meeting.

Presentations by citizens

  • (1) Any citizen who wishes to make a presentation to the Youth Council or its Executive at a meeting must provide written notice to the chair no later than 24 hours before the meeting. The notice shall indicate the citizen’s name and the matter on which he or she wishes to speak.
    (2) The notice period referred to in subsection (1) may be waived by consensus of the Youth Council or its Executive.

  • The time for each citizen’s presentation at a meeting shall be limited to a maximum of ten minutes. Any Youth may ask questions of the citizen who made the presentation at the end of his or her presentation.

  • Citizens should avoid repetition of the comments of previous speakers. The purpose of the presentations is to provide information and the citizen’s view for the consideration of the Youth Council or its Executive. Any questions raised by the citizen will not necessarily be answered or responded to by the Youth Council or its Executive at that meeting.

  • Except when the citizen is answering a direct question from a member of the Youth Council or its Executive, all remarks shall be addressed to the Youth Council or its Executive as a whole and not to individual members of the Youth Council or its Executive.

  • (1) The Youth Council or its Executive may close the presentations even if not all citizens have had the opportunity to speak or end the time to speak to allow the meeting to proceed with its agenda and deal with its business.
    (2) If a citizen who provided written notice to the chair under section 18 of these rules of procedure did not have an opportunity to speak, he or she may be provided such an opportunity at the next scheduled meeting.

  • The Chair shall appoint a clerk who will be responsible for maintaining the records of the Youth Council and its Executive.

In camera discussions

  • The Youth Council or its Executive shall decide when its discussions will be held in camera and only the Members and staff, as required, shall attend such discussions. Any member of the Youth Council or its Executive who has a conflict of interest and all others shall be asked to leave the meeting room.

  • In camera discussions may be recorded on audio tape. As soon as possible after each meeting, the chair will turn over the tape for safekeeping to the clerk. Any audio tape in the custody of the clerk shall be released only with the consent of the Elders Senate.

Decisions

  • The Youth Council and its Executive will try to reach consensus on all decisions. If agreement cannot be reached and a decision of the Youth Council or its Executive is required, then a vote by show of hands shall be taken. In the case of a vote, three-quarters of those present must vote in favour of the decision for the vote to pass.

Quorum

  • The quorum for a meeting of the Youth Council Executive shall be a majority of the Executive (four members).

Conflict of interest

  • A member of the Youth Council or its Executive shall disclose to the Youth Council or the Executive as the case may be, any direct or indirect financial or other personal interest that he or she or a member of his or her immediate family has in any matter before the Youth Council or the Executive and shall not take part in the discussions with respect to that matter or vote on that matter.

  • (1) Where a disagreement arises as to whether a member or a member of his or her immediate family has a direct or indirect financial or other personal interest in a matter before the Youth Council or the Executive, the Youth Council or the Executive shall decide, by a vote, whether that member or a member of his or her immediate family has such an interest and the affected Senate or Executive member shall not take part in that vote.
    (2) Where the Youth Council or Executive finds pursuant to subsection (1) that the Member or a member of his or her immediate family has a direct or indirect financial or other personal interest in a matter before the Youth Council or the Executive, that Member shall not take part in the discussions with respect to that matter or vote on that matter.

Minutes

  • (1) It is the responsibility of the chair to ensure accurate minutes of the meeting of the Youth Council and it Executive are recorded and distributed to the members of the Youth Council or its Executive at the next scheduled meeting.
    (2) The minutes of a meeting referred to in subsection (1) shall set out a summary of the motions and resolutions passed or considered.
    (3) Each recommendation or action item shall be passed and recorded as a motion.
    (4) The minutes of a meeting referred to in subsection (1) shall be tabled for acceptance and amendment as a record of the meeting. The chair shall sign the minutes after they have been approved.

  • The clerk appointed by the Chair shall maintain custody of all minutes of the meetings of the Youth Council and its Executive.

  • The clerk appointed by the Chair shall maintain custody of all resolutions and motions made.

Joint meetings of the Youth Council and the First Nations Council

  • The Youth Council or its Executive and the First Nations Council may jointly hold a meeting to deal with specific matters. Joint meetings should not be held ordinarily.

  • The Youth Council and its Executive will maintain a separate record of any joint meeting with the First Nations Council.

Audio or video recordings

  • Notwithstanding section 24 of these rules of procedure , unless the Youth Council provides its consent, a meeting of the Youth Council may not be photographed or recorded in audio or video by any person.

Written correspondence

  • All correspondence and written requests shall be sent to the Youth Council, care of Lilly Smith and the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, at the following address:

Mail: P.O. Box 5310
Haines Junction, Yukon
Y0B 1L0
Or Fax: (867) 634-2108

Financial accountability

  • The Youth Council shall work with the Director of Secretariat to establish and manage a budget for the Youth Council. This budget will be presented to the First Nations Council for approval.

Where there are matters not covered by these rules of procedure

  • The Executive may make such rules of procedure not inconsistent with these rules of procedure in respect of matters not specifically provided for and which may be necessary from time to time.

Amending Rules

  • The Youth Council may amend these rules at any time.

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