Chief and Council Spotlight — Investing in Citizens’ health and wellbeing

To round out this series of Spotlight posts highlighting the work of Chief and Council to move priorities ahead on behalf of Citizens, we are sharing a set of posts around strategic areas of focus.

Spotlight: Supporting Citizens’ Health and Wellbeing: This year, Chief and Council have taken important steps to better support the health and wellbeing of CAFN Citizens at both the community and systems levels. One major change has been the update to the Community Health and Wellbeing Grant, which doubled the maximum amount per Citizen from $500 to $1,000 and removed many of the old restrictions so the fund can better reflect Dan k’e and real‑life needs.

Alongside this, CAFN has been working on a broader Health and Wellbeing Strategy to guide future decisions and investments in programs, services, and infrastructure that support mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health.

On the regional and national stage, Chief Barbara Joe has been active in Ottawa, working with federal Ministers to build support for and secure funding towards a new Community Wellness Hub for CAFN. She has also continued to advocate strongly for the proposed new Yukon Health Authority, recognizing the opportunity it presents to improve health services and outcomes for Yukon First Nations.

Chief Joe’s leadership on the Chiefs Committee on Health, alongside other Yukon First Nations Chiefs, has been an important part of this work. Through that table, she has helped ensure CAFN perspectives are front and centre in discussions about how health systems are designed, funded, and governed across the territory.

Taken together, these actions show Council’s commitment to investing in Citizens’ wellbeing, strengthening community‑based supports, and pushing for system‑wide changes that will benefit CAFN now and in the years to come.