Yesterday evening Nature Canada staff had the pleasure of attending a reception for a new national park proposed in the Northwest Territories. The proposed park, called Thaidene Nene and formerly known by the moniker East Arm of Great Slave Lake, covers approximately 33,000 square-kilometres and has been a topic of discussion – and a source of controversy – between the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation and Parks Canada for almost 40 years.

The Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation and Parks Canada have “recently initiated a dialogue to jointly protect lands and waters” of Thaidene Nene, the “Land of the Ancestors.” A framework agreement for this dialogue was signed in April of this year, committing the Government of Canada and the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation to work as partners toward a Thaidene Nene Establishment Agreement. With a projected two-year timeline on formal discussions (began in September), boundary studies and negotiations, this Establishment Agreement will lay the groundwork for Parliament to officially decide on a national park designation.

The goal of last evening’s reception was simply to “introduce and explain this great Canadian landscape” to various audiences here in Ottawa. Representatives from the NGO sector, the mining sector and various federal government departments were invited to the event, which was hosted by the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation and Member of Parliament for Western Arctic, Dennis Bevington.

We were grateful for this opportunity to hear about the cultural, ecological and spiritual significance of Thaidene Nene directly from Lutsel K’e Dene Elders and community members. Each presenter spoke of the need to protect Tsan’kui Theda, the Lady behind of the waterfall, and the lands around her to ensure that the land would always be there to provide for the people, just like it always has. Lutsel K’e Dene Councillor Terri Enzoe, who spoke at the event, shared that “[o]ur elders and the leadership have long maintained that we have a responsibility to protect Thaidene Nene to ensure that our way of life can persist into the future. Given the progress we have made over the past year, we hope that this dream can soon become a reality, and that all Canadians can be inspired by this great place.”

You can read more about Thaidene Nene in presentations by Steven Ellis of the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation and in research led by geographer Nathan Bennett. Also, stay tuned to Nature Canada’s blog and our e-newsletter to learn more about how you can participate in public consultations around the creation of this new national park.

Photo 1: Larry Innes, Executive Director of the Canadian Boreal Initiative, at the 2007 NWT land withdrawal ceremony, which focused on withdrawals for both proposed Thaidene Nene National Park and the proposed Ramparts River and Wetlands National Wildlife Area.

Photo 2: Wolverine, one of Canada’s intrepid northern mammals that calls Thaidene Nene home.