The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (CAFN) in Haines Junction, Yukon, is taking bold steps to boost local economic growth and secure a stake in the territory’s energy future. On July 28, 2026, CAFN Chief and Council announced the creation of a $3 million Economic Development Opportunities Fund and a new economic strategy, while also revealing the Nation has joined a historic four-nation energy alliance.
The $3 million fund will let CAFN move quickly on promising community projects and partnerships. Council also put a new Economic Development Strategy in motion, working with community corporations like Sha Shäw Community Corporation and Dakwäkäda Capital Investments to guide how the Nation grows and protects its financial resources.
At the same time, CAFN has joined the Hydro 4 First Nations alliance alongside Kwanlin Dün First Nation, Carcross/Tagish First Nation, and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council. The four nations want to push for Yukon First Nations equity ownership in new energy projects, treating it as a form of economic reconciliation. They started talking in December 2025 with CanNor President Jimi Onalik and have since signed an MOU. Now, they are in discussions with the Yukon government, Canada, and the Yukon Development Corporation on energy generation and distribution.
This comes as Yukon faces a serious energy crunch. Last winter, record demand, extreme cold, and equipment failures nearly led to rolling blackouts. Residential electricity demand is expected to jump about 60 per cent in the next 10 years. The Hydro 4 nations see a clear need and a chance to create lasting revenue streams while helping meet the territory’s energy needs.
CAFN has more than 1,200 members and a traditional territory that covers 41,000 square kilometers in southwest Yukon and northern B.C., including much of Kluane National Park. The four-nation energy work builds on earlier successes, like the 2022 Aishihik Hydro Generating Station relicensing and the July 2026 Whitehorse Hydro Facility agreements signed by Kwanlin Dün and Ta’an Kwäch’än with the Yukon government and Yukon Energy. Those deals focused on economic reconciliation and shared decision-making, offering a model for what the Hydro 4 alliance hopes to achieve on a larger scale.
