See Canada's Newest Park Protecting First Nation Land and Boreal Forest

In Northwest Territories, Thaidene Nene is a model of Indigenous-led management

Article By: Steve Ganey
Projects: International Boreal Conservation Campaign
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See Canada's Newest Park Protecting First Nation Land and Boreal Forest

For almost 20 years, the people of the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation have advocated for protection of their traditional lands in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Now these lands will be at the center of one of the country’s largest protected areas—covering over 2.6 million hectares (10,040 square miles).

The designation of the park, Thaidene Nene, was announced today by the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation, Parks Canada, and the Government of the Northwest Territories. The Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation and Canadian government will co-manage the park with a goal of sustaining healthy lands and clean water that will contribute to boreal forest conservation efforts. Much of this will be accomplished by Indigenous Guardians, who incorporate traditional culture and western science into their land conservation plans.

The creation of Thaidene Nene is a nation-to-nation partnership that can serve as a conservation model throughout Canada while contributing to the protection of the boreal forest, which covers 270 million hectares (more than 1 million square miles) in Canada. The establishment of Thaidene Nene will bring the country closer to its commitment under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to protect 17 percent of its lands by 2020. Here are some photos of the area:

The Lutsel K'e Dene live on the eastern shore of the Great Slave Lake—North America’s deepest lake, reaching a depth of 2,000 feet. Thaidene Nene, which includes part of their homeland, is protected under a partnership between the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation and the Canadian government.
Katye Martens The Pew Charitable Trusts
Thaidene Nene, near the shores of the Great Slave Lake, means “Land of the Ancestors” to the Lutsel K’e Dene people of the Northwest Territories of Canada.
Katye Martens The Pew Charitable Trusts
A musk oxen stands near the water in Thaidene Nene. The park is in the transition zone between boreal forest and tundra and provides vital habitat for wildlife, including moose, songbirds, bears, and wolves.
Katye Martens The Pew Charitable Trusts
The Lutsel K’e Dene have hunted and fished on their traditional lands for centuries, and protecting this area will help keep their cultural traditions alive. Read about James Marlowe, above, a Lutsel K’e Dene hunter and guide, and how he is helping to pass these traditions to the next generation.
Katye Martens The Pew Charitable Trusts
Thaidene Nene is a new model for parks and protected areas in Canada that emphasizes Indigenous-led conservation and the importance of using traditional knowledge to keep the land healthy.
Katye Martens The Pew Charitable Trusts

Steve Ganey directs The Pew Charitable Trusts’ work on marine conservation and fisheries.