Aboriginal peoples of Canada's Northwest Territories
In Canada's North aboriginal peoples are moving forward with Land Claims and self government.. The Dene, Metis and Inuvialuit of the Mackenzie Valley are proud to offer you the trip of a lifetime in Canada's North. Explore the culture of the Dogrib or Tlicho people, go fishing with Slavey guides, or visit a Chipewyan or Cree cultural camp. The Gwichin will show you the magnificent scenery of the Peel and Arctic Red Rivers. The Inuvialuit and Inuit of the arctic coast will introduce you to the amazing Mackenzie Delta. Learn the ways of Great Slave Lake with the Yellowknives or the Akaitcho people. In the Northwest Territories, traditional aboriginal cultures are still strong and vibrantly alive. Be sure to check with the local or regional aboriginal government, if you are planning to travel in the northern wilderness.
Dogrib
The Dogrib occupy traditional territory between Great Slave and Great Bear Lakes, living mainly in the communities of Rae-Edzo, Snare Lake, Wha Ti, Rae Lakes and Dettah. Their name derives from a legend that says their ancestor was a powerful dog-man.
Yellowknives
The original people of the south shore and East Arm of Great Slave Lake were a large and powerful band, active in the early fur trade. Their Chief, Akaitcho, rescued survivors of the first Franklin Expedition in 1823. (It was Franklin who named them Yellowknives, for the copper implements they carried. ) The people later dispersed among the Chipewyan at Fort Resolution, Lutsel k'e and Yellowknife. Today, Band headquarters is located at N'dilo, on the outskirts of the city named for them.
Chipewyan
Descendants of Barrenlands caribou hunters, the Chipewyan were middlemen in the fur-trade era, trading with the Dene of the west as well as the Cree in the east and with the English who built forts on Hudson Bay. Their famous leader, Matonabbee, led Samuel Hearne to the mouth of the Coppermine River. Many still live in the Athabasca region of Alberta and the NWT communities of Fort Smith, Fort Resolution and Lutselk'e.
South Slavey
Members of this language group live mainly in the southern NWT, on the Hay River Reserve in the South Slave Region and the communities of the upper Mackenzie or Deh Cho Region, including Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Fort Liard, Trout Lake, Nahanni Butte, Kakisa, Jean Marie River and Wrigley. Many still choose to live the traditional way, hunting, fishing and trapping for a living.
North Slavey
Speakers of North Slavey include the Hare, Mountain and Sahtu Dene groups concentrated west and north of Great Bear Lake, in the Sahtu Region. Many make their homes in the communities of Deline, Tulit'a, Fort Good Hope, Colville Lake and Norman Wells.
Gwich'in
The people of the lower Mackenzie Valley have long hunted in the Mackenzie Delta and western mountains. They're related to Gwich'in groups in Yukon and Alaska, and long ago adopted some of the customs of the coastal Tlingit, with whom they traded. Their Land Claim region includes present-day Tsiigehtchic, Fort McPherson and Aklavik; many Gwich'in also live in Inuvik.
Inuvialuit
The people of the western Arctic coast speak Inuvialuktun, an Alaskan version of the circumpolar language, Inuktitut. They moved into the NWT from farther west when their predecessors, the beluga-hunting Mackenzie Inuit, were wiped out by disease. They were mainly whale-hunters by tradition, while the people of the Arctic Islands hunted on both land and sea. Today's Inuvialuit live in Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, Aklavik, Sachs Harbour and Holman.
Mιtis
Many Northerners of mixed heritage descend from Cree/French families of the fur-trade era. Like their French-Canadian fathers, Mιtis became voyageurs, and when they settled in the NWT, they became fur-trade middlemen, post managers and river pilots. Other northern Mιtis have Scottish or English ancestors who came north with the Hudson's Bay company. A newer wave of southern Mιtis came here in the 1940s and 1950s to settle at Hay River and Fort Smith. Politically, Mιtis have allied with Dene groups to settle Land Claims.
NWT Tourism Box 610, Yellowknife NT X1A 2N5 Canada
Toll-free number: 1-800-661-0788
International: +1-867-873-7200
Email: info@spectacularnwt.com
