Your Trustees

Trustee, Champagne and Aishihik First Nations

Matsʼäsä̀na Mą is an Agünda (Wolf Clan) member of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nation (CAFN) from Däkwä̀käda (Haines Junction). Named by her respected Great-grandma, Chushrùa, Marge Jackson, she is a powerful voice dedicated to ensuring the next generation is grounded in Dän kʼè (our way) and fluent in Dáwänje (our language).
Matsʼäsä̀na Mą brings proven experience from both educational and governance perspectives, having served as a Trustee on the previous, inaugural Board of Trustees for the First Nation School Board (FNSB). This experience gives her unique insight into the board's founding vision and operational needs.
Currently an Adult Language Immersion Instructor and an advanced-intermediate fluent speaker of Dáwänje (Southern Tutchone) with a diploma from SFU, she is a leader in language revitalization. She has also successfully created and coordinated a full-time Youth Language Immersion Program (Youth Today, Language Leaders Tomorrow), teaching advanced Dákwänje courses and leading land-based language and culture immersion camps. Her hands-on experience, coupled with her success in designing accredited youth education programs, makes her a vital candidate for Trustee. Matsʼäsä̀na Mą also serves on the CAFN Language, Culture, Heritage Advisory Committee and actively supports youth through her work with the Yukon Aboriginal Sport Circle Board. She is committed to ensuring that language and culture are the foundation for student well-being and academic achievement.

Trustee, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation

Dana is a Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation citizen, husband, father of two, and former Chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. Dana is also a former Chair of the Chiefs Committee on Education, where he played a central role in negotiations to advance First Nations education, including the establishment of the First Nation School Board. He is the first chair appointed to the First Nation School Board of Trustees.

Trustee, Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in

Born in Dawson City into the Wolf Clan of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation, Melanie is the great-granddaughter of Mary McLeod, granddaughter of Alice Titus, and daughter of former Chief Hilda Titus.

Melanie has dedicated her life to working with youth to succeed. With over 30 years in education, Melanie has served as a First Nation liaison, teacher, and administrator in both First Nation and Ministry-operated schools in British Columbia and Yukon. She holds a Bachelor of Education from Malaspina University (Vancouver Island University), and a Master of Education in Multidisciplinary Leadership from the University of Northern British Columbia. She has been the executive director of Yukon First Nation Education Directorate since its inception in 2020, integral in the establishment of the First Nation School Board. As YFNED is an “auntie organization” to FNSB, she is passionate about and deeply familiar with the values and workings of the school board. She has also been the chair of the First Nation Education Commission for the past 5 years.

Melanie is an unwavering advocate for the incorporation of First Nations culturally-relevant learning in all schools, emphasizing the importance of traditional knowledge and Indigenous pedagogies in fostering student success.  She takes pride in our Yukon First Nations ways of knowing and traditional knowledge — and strongly advocates that First Nations culture-based learning should happen for our students every day in every school.

In her spare time, Melanie enjoys beading, being out on the land, picking berries, gathering medicines and enjoying the Yukon wilderness

Trustee, Ross River Dena Council

Josie O’Brien is a Kaska woman from the Crow Clan. She was born in Whitehorse and raised in Ross River, where life on the land shaped her identity and values. She was raised in traditional practices such as camping, hunting, fishing, and processing subsistence-harvested moose and caribou, and participated in salmon fish camp until her family voluntarily paused harvesting to protect future salmon populations. Josephine has been part of traditional dance for over a decade and continues to reconnect with her culture through learning the Kaska language and attending Dechinta, an on-the-land school led by Elders teaching Kaska history and values. She parents four children across different developmental stages and has been the full-time caregiver for her niece and nephew since 2020, giving her a grounded understanding of the diverse needs of Yukon First Nations families. Josephine carries lived experience, cultural continuity, and deep community roots into every space she serves.

Trustee, Champagne and Aishihik First Nations

Dustin McKenzie-Hubbard is a Champagne and Aishihik First Nations father of two young girls, a dedicated language learner, and a committed advocate for strengthening Yukon First Nations education. Through his work as a Family and Cultural Support Worker with Shawthan Nazhi and as a Research Assistant in Indigenous Accreditation at Yukon University, Dustin brings firsthand experience supporting children, families, and communities across the territory.

His roles as a Reconnection Vision Ambassador, a member of WINHEC, and a participant in Indigenous Language Training reflect his commitment to cultural revitalization and lifelong learning. He also carries strong skills in communication, conflict resolution, and community leadership, supported by professional training and years of frontline work.

As a trustee, Dustin is committed to improving attendance by fostering schools where students feel safe, welcomed, and connected to their culture. He believes in strong partnerships with families, Elders, and communities to ensure every Yukon First Nations learner can thrive—spiritually, academically, and emotionally.