Arthur MacDonald Pearson (b. 1938)
Art Pearson was born in Brandon, Manitoba. He went to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and then completed a doctorate degree in zoology at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Pearson was a biologist in Whitehorse with the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) from 1968 to 1972. At that time the Yukon Game Branch was mainly concerned with big-game hunters and outfitters. Yukon discussions centred around political autonomy and constitutional development. In 1972, the CWS moved their biologists from Whitehorse, Inuvik, and Yellowknife to Edmonton, and the Pearsons left the Yukon. In 1975, the federal government was talking to Pearson and Al Kapty about the Yukon Commissioner position. The government was interested in the issues around land claims and indigenous involvement in political and economic processes. Pearson accepted the position of Commissioner and Cabinet approved the appointment in April. There were Yukon discussions about the appointment of a non-Yukon civil servant. The pipeline soon became a prominent topic of interest.1)
During Pearson’s term, the Yukon implemented a committee structure for Deputy Heads to look at policy before it was presented to the Executive Committee. A new Native Advisor position was created, and Dorothy Wabisca was appointed. Pearson was initially the only Yukon Government representative in the land claim negotiations, but an elected member soon joined him.2)
The Lueck affair started soon after Pearson was appointed. Allen Lueck was the legal advisor to CYI, and in his mind that made him legal advisor to all members of CYI. He felt the leadership was working towards separate aboriginal governments when the Yukon Council policy supported one government for all Yukoners. He worried about CYI Chair Daniel Johnston’s comments in Washington about the possibly of an uprising if the pipeline went ahead before land claims were settled. Lueck copied his letter to CYI to the media. The Yukon legal advisor brought charges against Lueck under the Yukon Legal Profession Act. Deputy Commissioner Doug Bell reported the issue to Pearson. The issue being that the Yukon Government had intruded in an internal squabble. The judge accepted a withdrawal of the charge, but the action was construed as interference by the Commissioner and a public inquiry ensued. The Yukon Executive Committee was divided when Dan Lang voted to have Pearson removed as Commissioner during the Lueck affair. The motion was defeated, Lang resigned from the committee, and Elinor Millard took his place.3)
Art Pearson was the Commissioner of the Yukon from July 1976 to end October 1978. He resigned in 1978 after pleading guilty to charges related to the improper transfer of mining claims.4) After his resignation Pearson stayed in the Yukon and did a variety of things including property management. He was involved in a group that set up and ran the Yukon Lotteries Commission. He worked with a group to establish the Yukon Science Institute to promote more research in the Yukon. They promoted science fairs in the schools and hosted the Canada-wide Science Fair in Whitehorse. He served as the president of the Chamber of Commerce and represented the Yukon on the national board for several years.5)