Our partnership
For over a decade Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, Government of Yukon, Parks Canada and the City of Dawson closely collaborated on the designation of Tr’ondëk-Klondike World Heritage Site.
Lead by Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, it was a collective effort that increased understanding within the community and built a strong foundation for the collaborative management of the site. Following the inscription of Tr’ondëk Klondike to the World Heritage List, the Parties signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Concerning the Joint Management and Protection of Tr’ondëk Klondike World Heritage Site. This document commits the Parties in mutual agreement to protect the Outstanding Universal value of Tr’ondëk-Klondike and its components.
The Tr’ondëk–Klondike World Heritage Site Management Plan provides a framework for the collaboration between the managing jurisdictions and outlines a management system to conserve the heritage and cultural values of Tr’ondëk-Klondike. The Tr’ondëk-Klondike Stewardship Committee, made up of representatives from all four governments- Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, Government of Yukon, Parks Canada and the City of Dawson- is responsible for the implementation of the plan. The Stewardship Committee guides the collaborative management of TKWHS and ensures the conservation, protection, presentation and transmission of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).
In addition, the Tr’ondëk-Klondike World Heritage Advisory Committee provides advice and recommendations to the Stewardship Committee. This committee includes representatives from the four governments, Klondike Visitors Association, Dawson City Chamber of Commerce, Dawson City Museum and local residents. The Advisory Committee represents community organizations with an interest in the presentation, promotion, and development of Tr’ondëk-Klondike that is compatible with its Outstanding Universal Value. The purpose, structure, and responsibilities of the Stewardship Committee and of the Advisory Committee are outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding and approved Terms of References.
Inscription
The nomination dossier of the Tr’ondëk-Klondike serial site was submitted to the World Heritage Centre in February 2021 for evaluation.
A panel of experts reviewed the nomination dossier over the next fourteen months, including a site visit and evaluation. The decision to inscribe the site to the World Heritage List was made by the World Heritage Committee and announced at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in September, 2023. Tr’ondëk-Klondike was added to the World Heritage List as a serial cultural property. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site inscription is for exceptional places around the world that are considered to have Outstanding Universal Value. These places are part of a universal heritage of humankind.
Our name
Tr’o signifies the hammer rock used to drive the salmon weir stakes into the mouth of the river; ndëk means “river."
Another interpretation uses the word Kl’o, which means grass, and translates roughly to: “waters flowing through the grass at the mouth of the Klondike.” The word Hwëch’in means the “people”. Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in means: “the people who lived at the mouth of the Klondike."
— Gerald Isaac, February 1999
The name of the property, Trondëk-Klondike, connects to the events that transformed Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in way of life in the face of colonization by newcomers. "Klondike" brings to mind the Klondike Gold Rush, an event famous around the world. This period in history came at the turn of the twentieth century, when the experience of colonialism had already been disrupting lives, cultures, and societies around the world for centuries. The survival of Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in cultural traditions, knowledge, and practices is reflected in the use of one of our place names, Tr’ondëk, and indicates the experiences and ability of our people to adapt to colonialism and its impacts, expressed by the colonial name, Klondike.