“(Ts’ąkuı Theda, The Lady of the Falls) has told the people that she will always be there to heal, to protect, to guide: as long as we do not disturb her land until the end of time. This is the responsibility passed on to us by our elders. They know our identity and strength come from our relationship with Thaıdene Nëné.” – Gloria Enzoe from Łutsël K’é

On the eastern arm of Great Slave Lake, there exists a stunning land formed 3 billion years ago. Sheer cliffs tower over pristine lakes. Surging rivers become cascading waterfalls. This place is home to muskoxen and barren-ground caribou, and the grizzlies and wolves that stalk them. The deep, clear waters remain in pristine condition today. The lake is thick with lake trout. The skies abound with birdlife. The trees gradually thin out to the Barrenlands.

There are different explanations for how Thaıdene Nëné, the “Land of the Ancestors” in Dënesųłıné Yatı, came to be. Dene and Métis have ancient stories that describe the origins of landscape features throughout the protected area and beyond, like the story of Ts’ąkuı Theda or the stories of Hachoghe and the giant beavers. Science attributes Thaidene Nëné’s spectacular features to the the collision and re-bounding of the Slave Geologic Province and Churchill tectonic plates. This geological process formed a crevice in the land over 7,000 feet deep, that eventually filled with sediment from retreating glaciers to form what is now the gorgeous East Arm of Great Slave Lake.

Nestled in this varied and abundant landscape is the fly-in Dënesųłıné community of Łutsël K’é, with a population of around 300. Thaıdene Nëné is the heart of the Łutsël K’é Dene homeland, the place where the ancestors laid down the sacred, ethical, and practical foundations of their way of life. Thaidene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area also encompasses numerous ancient and contemporary sites of spiritual and cultural importance to the Deninu Kųę́ First Nation, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and the Northwest Territory Métis Nation.

For more than fifty years, the Łutsël K’é Dene sought to protect the Land of the Ancestors and their Dënesųłıné way of life. In 2019, the Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation declared Thaidene Nëné an Indigenous protected area using their own Dene laws. Through agreements between Indigenous and Crown governments, portions of Thaidene Nëné were designated a national park reserve, a territorial protected area, and a wildlife conservation area.

Nestled in this varied and abundant landscape is the fly-in Dënesųłıné community of Łutsël K’é, with a population of around 300. Thaıdene Nëné is the heart of the Łutsël K’é Dene homeland, the place where the ancestors laid down the sacred, ethical, and practical foundations of their way of life. Thaidene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area also encompasses numerous ancient and contemporary sites of spiritual and cultural importance to the Deninu Kųę́ First Nation, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and the Northwest Territory Métis Nation.

For more than fifty years, the Łutsël K’é Dene sought to protect the Land of the Ancestors and their Dënesųłıné way of life. In 2019, the Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation declared Thaidene Nëné an Indigenous protected area using their own Dene laws. Through agreements between Indigenous and Crown governments, portions of Thaidene Nëné were designated a national park reserve, a territorial protected area, and a wildlife conservation area.

Today, the governance and management of Thaıdene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area is shared between Indigenous governments with a cultural connection to the landscape, Parks Canada, and the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Encompassing more than 26,000 square kilometres, Thaıdene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area allows residents to preserve the ecological integrity of the land while also creating sustainable local employment opportunities through tourism.

Other than the Region’s residents, only a handful of intrepid explorers, bold adventurers, mineral surveyors, and government scientists had ever seen this land. But now through licenced tourism operators like Red Cliff Adventures, Chase East Arm Adventures, Frontier Fishing Lodge, and River’s East Arm Tours, people of the Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation will be welcoming you and teaching you about this breathtaking land, its history and traditions. After a 45-minute flight from nearby Yellowknife—180 kilometres to the east— travellers can stop by the First Nation’s office to purchase local arts and crafts before departing by boat to spy muskoxen on the shores of the countless lakes and rivers. Have a local licenced tourism operator take you to drop a fishing line into the 600-metre-plus chasm of Christie Bay in Great Slave Lake’s East Arm—the deepest freshwater lake in all of North America and home to world class, and record shattering, trout lake fishing.

Or learn more about the local culture and hear traditional stories sitting by an open fire at a traditional camp. Visitors can explore Old Fort Reliance, a National Historic Site of Canada built for an expedition led by Captain George Back in 1833. It served as a base for expeditions for trading and for missions seeking the lost British explorers John Ross and, later, John Franklin.

The Łutsël K’é Dene, guardians of Thaıdene Nëné, promise guests authentic experiences from a land rich with history and biodiversity, and hosts who are proud to show their homeland to visitors from all over the world. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to visit this Park and learn about the culture of those who call it home.