ABORIGINAL RELATIONS: Yukon- Nevada signs socio-economic agreement with Kaska First Nations

VANCOUVER – Yukon-Nevada Gold and its wholly owned subsidiary, Ketza River Holdings, have signed a socio-economic participation agreement (SEPA) with five Kaska First Nations located in both Yukon and British Columbia. The agreement was negotiated over five years so that the First Nations can enjoy opportunities related to further work at the former Ketza River gold mine 80 km south of Ross River, YT.

Yukon-Nevada will provide fixed and variable payments as well as training and opportunities to the local First Nations. Some of the payments will be made into a scholarship fund for qualified Kaska citizens. The company will also hire an aboriginal liaison officer and participate in a management advisory committee that will oversee the SEPA.

"We are very pleased with this agreement," said Chief Jack Caesar. "For too long the riches from Kaska traditional lands have been taken without benefit to our communities. Yukon-Nevada Gold's commitment in this SEPA to share benefits of this project with the Kaska is the principled approach we have been seeking and expect from all resource companies working in our traditional lands."

The 2010 technical report on the Ketza River project is available at Yukon-NevadaGold.com.