Náátsʼihchʼoh National Park Reserve (pronounced NATS-ee-choh) is a Canadian national park reserve located in the Northwest Territories. It covers areas of the South Nahanni River watershed. The name "Náátsʼihchʼoh" means "stands like a porcupine" in the Dene language. The park reserve spans an area of 4,850 square kilometers (1,873 square miles). It protects part of the Sahtú Settlement Area in the upper South Nahanni River region. This area is next to Nahanni National Park Reserve, but the two are managed separately, just like Banff and Jasper, two nearby parks in Alberta.
Features
Nááts’ı̨hch’oh National Park Reserve is located in the Mackenzie Mountains. Its name comes from Nááts’ı̨hch’oh, which means "standing like a porcupine quill" in the Shúhtagot’ine language. This name describes the mountain’s shape, which is sharp and pointed at the top, similar to a porcupine’s quill. The mountain is believed to have great powers. The area has been used for many years for hunting and gathering natural resources. It holds great personal and cultural importance for the Shúhtagot’ine people, who live in the Tulita District.
The main rivers in the area are the South Nahanni (Tehjeh Deé) and the Broken Skull Rivers. These rivers meet near the park. People can travel down the South Nahanni’s "rock garden" by starting at Nááts’ı̨hch’oh Tué (Moose Ponds), or choose the Broken Skull River, which is easier to navigate. The tallest mountains in the park are Nááts’ı̨hch’oh (Mount Wilson), which is 2,245 meters (7,365 feet) high, and an unnamed mountain near Nı́onep’eneɂ Tué (Backbone Lake), which reaches 2,456 meters (8,058 feet).
The region is home to many animals found in North America, including American black bears, grizzly bears, gray wolves, boreal woodland caribou, and moose. Dall sheep and Rocky Mountain goats live in the mountainous areas, with the Rocky Mountain goats being the northernmost group in Canada. Smaller animals include Arctic hares, beavers, collared pikas, hoary marmots, muskrats, porcupines, and snowshoe hares. These herbivores are hunted by smaller carnivores, such as Canada lynx, red foxes, martens, minks, ermines, and wolverines, which are the largest members of the mustelid family. North American river otters live near rivers and hunt for fish.
Park creation
On April 7, 2008, the federal government announced plans to create a park reserve. The park would be established after the government and the Sahtu Dene and Métis people reached an agreement about how the park would affect the area and the people living there. The government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with groups that manage land rights for the Dene and Métis people in the Tulita District. The government gave $500,000 to help these groups and local communities create the agreement. The area has become more industrial, with roads, pipelines, and projects to find and use minerals, oil, and natural gas. The park will stop new mines from being built, but existing mining rights will remain. The land was originally meant to expand Nahanni National Park Reserve, but the Dene and Métis people in the Sahtu Region worked to change the plan so their area would be different from Nahanni, which belongs to the Dene of the Dehcho Region.
On February 26, 2003, the Canadian government said it would set aside about 7,600 km (2,900 sq mi) of land for the park. The official announcement was made on April 7, 2008, by Federal Environment Minister John Baird. He said, "with this historic agreement, we are once again taking action to protect Canada's North for future generations." This was the fifth major conservation announcement made by the government in one year.
After the announcement, three plans for the park’s boundaries were proposed. The area has valuable minerals, and mining companies worried the park might block their access. The first plan would have made the park 6,450 km (2,490 sq mi), protecting most of the South Nahanni River’s upper watershed, most grizzly bear habitat, and most woodland caribou summer habitat, while leaving some mineral areas outside the park. The government chose the third plan, which left 70% of the mineral areas outside the park but protected 70% of grizzly bear habitat and 44% of woodland caribou summer calving grounds. During talks, people worried mining might harm the South Nahanni watershed. Mining representatives said even the third plan limited access to valuable areas but was their preferred choice. They claimed mining could be done in ways that protect the environment and help local communities economically.
In March 2012, federal officials and representatives of the Dene and Métis people signed the agreement for the park reserve. That August, Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited the area and announced the park’s boundaries. The park was officially created on December 16, 2014, after new laws were passed under the National Parks Act. Nááts'ihch'oh became the eighth National Park Reserve in Canada’s system. Officials did not say when the reserve or its neighbor, Nahanni, would become full national parks.