Ray Jackson

Raymond "Ray" Jackson was born in 1939 to Marge and Peter Jackson at Takhini Crossing, Yukon Territory, Canada. He was a member of the Agunda (Wolf) Clan of the Champagne Band First Nation, and was the eldest of seven children. He served as chief of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations in the Yukon Territory, Canada from 1972 to 1974 and again from 1979 to 1980, and was one of the leaders who helped pioneer modern Yukon First Nations land claims. He was one of twelve chiefs who traveled to Ottawa in 1973 to present then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau with "Together Today for Our Children Tomorrow," and helped pen parts of the document that was the first step towards the Yukon’s Umbrella Final Agreement and modern self-government agreements. Ray also was president of the Yukon Native Brotherhood in the mid-1970's and in the late-1980's became vice-chair of the Council of Yukon Indians, and he worked as band manager, was the president of Champagne Aishihik Enterprises, was the land claims coordinator for Kwanlin Dun, and worked in land claims for the Kluane Tribal Council. In 1961, Ray began his studies towards becoming a Baptist Minister in Whitehorse, later transferring to Berean Bible College in Calgary. In 1965, he met Jennifer Clunies-Ross. They married in 1967, and returned north to live in the Yukon where they worked to build a Baptist ministry and Ray became active in the Yukon First Nations rights movement alongside Elijah Smith. Ray Jackson passed away in 2016 at the age of 77. For more about Ray Jackson, see an article about him on the Yukon News website, or an obituary posted by Heritage North Funeral Care.