Regional Chief Kluane Adamek (Aagé) is a proud northerner and citizen of Kluane First Nation, and she acknowledges the Matriarchs who have welcomed her into the Dakl’aweidi (Killerwhale) Clan. Kluane is an Indigenous woman with mixed ancestry in Canada. Having lived in both northern and southern parts of the country, her lived experiences give her the ability to analyze the world around her from several different perspectives.
As the youngest serving Yukon Regional Chief, and the youngest ever female Regional Chief, she continues to press for change in the ways that women, young people and the next generation are included in decision-making forums, and she is committed to advancing solutions while approaching leadership from a place of values.
As the AFN’s lead on climate change and the environment, she has succeeded in establishing the environment as a top priority for the organization by being a key representative at international conferences and a powerful voice within global conversations on climate. Most recently, she served on the Net-Zero Advisory Body to the Minister of Environment and Climate. She has also served as the Co-Chair of the COVID-19 Northern and Remote Communities Working Group. She holds the Modern Treaties portfolio where she is actively working to resolve and enforce the treaties signed after 1975. Kluane is deeply committed to the 14 Yukon First Nations and works closely with the leadership and members to advance their priorities and interests, both regionally and nationally.
Since 2009, she has worked with Yukon First Nations and local communities in the areas of education, economic development and governance serving on several boards and committees including the Yukon College Board of Governors, Kluane Dana Trust, Actua, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, and the Aboriginal Sport Circle.
Kluane is enriched and inspired daily by the Matriarchs, Elders, and youth who guide her work and the future of Yukon First Nations.