When Matt Clarke chronicled his journey constructing a backwoods log cabin on a YouTube channel, he most likely didn't understand that the movies can be used in opposition to him in court docket, whilst he amassed 100,000 views.

The federal government of Yukon, the Canadian territory the place Clarke determined to create his "dream" residence within the woods close to Dawson Metropolis, sued the YouTuber final week for illegally selecting public land, in line with CBC.

Clarke shared his work clearing the land and developing the cabin in a sequence of six movies titled "Constructing Off Grid Log Cabin: Alone within the Yukon."

In a video from March 2021 with almost 17,000 views, Clarke relished his obvious success with the venture. "Is not it superb?" he stated throughout a smoke break in entrance of a log wall. "You'll be able to simply exit, harvest a bunch of uncooked supplies from the woods, put all of it collectively within the form of a home and growth, you bought a home." He patted himself on the again for "making a dream with these palms."

In the identical video, Clarke stated he hoped to encourage others to strive related feats.

"The entire cause I began filming these movies on the canoe journey final summer time," he stated, "was to try to present folks that you are able to do it too, that every one these journeys, even those who may appear far-fetched—go up on the Yukon River last-minute earlier than winter, construct a cabin and reside right here and luxuriate in it—you are able to do it."

However his viewers could also be disincentivized by the territorial authorities's lawsuit. A petition filed to the Yukon Supreme Court docket claimed that Clarke had "not supplied proof of any authority to occupy the Web site," regardless of having been notified by authorities officers that he should vacate, take away his buildings and private property and restore the world to its prior situation, in line with CBC.

The land the place Clarke settled is inside the conventional territory of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in, a First Nation authorities, the lawsuit stated. The group's identify interprets to "folks of the river" and its members have lived alongside the Yukon River for hundreds of years.

In Canada, Indigenous Land Claims search to handle wrongs perpetrated in opposition to Indigenous peoples and their lands by the federal, provincial and territorial governments. The Canadian authorities started recognizing these claims in 1973. Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin started negotiating their particular person Land Declare in 1991 and their Last Settlement went into impact in 1998.

Newsweek reached out to Clarke for remark.

Man Who Built ‘Dream’ Cabin Sued
A territorial authorities in Canada has sued Matt Clarke for constructing his "dream" cabin on public land. Right here, a log cabin in the UK.Tim Graham / Contributor/Tim Graham Picture Library