Yukon First Nations leader Ruth Massie invited to COP21

It's not exactly a novel idea, to fly to Paris andattempt to salvage a troubled relationship.

But the Yukon government and the Council of Yukon First Nations are hopingto dojust that thawingrelations as they talk aboutthawing permafrost.

Premier Darrell Pasloskihas invited CYFNGrand Chief Ruth Massie to join the Yukon delegation to the Conference of the Parties (COP21)the Paris climate summit that gets underway later this month.

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For Massie, it's a welcome gesture and a positive sign.

"We've been talking about reconciliation for some time and I'm pleased to get it started," Massie said.

The Yukon government and First Nations leaders have had a fractious relationship in recent years, clashing overBill S-6, fracking policyand the Peel watershed land use plan. First Nations have said the government doesn't consult them on key issues, or ignores their input.

Changing seasons

In a statement, Pasloski said Massie's attendance in Paris will help bring "a broader Northern perspective to COP21."

"It would be nice to share some of our traditional knowledge on what we see as affecting climate change, or the effects of climate change, up here in the North," Massiesaid.

"Usually you can tell the seasons.Now, it's pretty tough to see what season it is some years."

Besides Massie and the premier, the Yukon delegation will include NDP leader Liz Hanson and Liberal leader Sandy Silver, Climate Change youth ambassador Sabrina Clark, and other officials from Yukon's environment department.

It's not clear yet what will come out of the Paris talks, but Massiethinks it can only be good for CYFN.

"It may give us an opportunity to talk about other subjects that we mutually should be chatting about anyways," she said.