the gwich'in people have been present in alaska, yukon, and the northwest territories since time immemorial. in 1921, chiefs and headmen representing the gwich'in (then known as the loucheux) population in canada signed treaty 11, but unresolved differences arose between the interpretation of aboriginal and treaty rights by the gwich'in and by canada, and many obligations were never fulfilled. to provide certainty and clarity of rights to land ownership, and to ensure various rights and benefits to the gwich'in people, the comprehensive land claim agreement was signed as a modern treaty on april 22, 1992.