NEWS RELEASES
New Canadian National Park A Collaboration Between First Nations And Government
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through The Huffington Post - Canada's website.
LUTSEL K’E, N.W.T. - The Canadian Press reports that Thaidene Nene, Canada’s newest national park, marks a landmark collaboration between First Nations and Parks Canada. The agreement forming the park reserve was signed by the federal and territorial governments and four First Nations, who will share in the administration of the park. Protecting 26,376 square kilometres of boreal forest, tundra and freshwater ecosystems in and around the East Arm of Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territory, the reserve, whose name means Land of the Ancestors in the native Dene tongue, gives Indigenous people an unprecedented role in the park’s operation. Dene rangers, called "Watchers of the Land," will monitor wildlife, document visitor activity and maintain cultural sites within the park. Home to moose, muskox, wolves, bears, wolverines, caribou and many species of birds and fish, the park is currently only accessible by boat or flying in, but plans are being formed for visitor access, including a visitor center in Lutsel K’e, campgrounds and other infrastructure.
“This is what our ancestors meant when they entered into treaty with Canada,” said Steve Nitah, the representative of the Indigenous groups in the decades-long negotiations that led to the establishment of Thaidene Nene. “We agreed to share the land, its resources, the responsibility for management, and to benefit together.” Canada has made an international commitment to put 17 percent of its land under protection by 2020. The creation of Thaidene Nene brings the country’s protected areas to just over 12 percent. Other First Nations are said to be considering similar agreements.
For more, visit the Thaidene Nene website.