Thaıdene Nëné National Park Reserve (named "land of our ancestors" in the Dene Chipewyan language) is a national park near the east arm of Great Slave Lake. It is located on the northern edge of Canada’s boreal forest in the North Slave Region of the Northwest Territories. Parks Canada manages the park, and it is part of the Thaıdene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area. This area also includes a Territorial Protected Area and a Wildlife Conservation Area managed by the Government of the Northwest Territories. The National Park Reserve covers 14,070 km² of important boreal forest, tundra, and freshwater ecosystems.
Creating Thaıdene Nëné National Park Reserve helps protect caribou and fur-bearing animals such as lynx, wolf, red fox, wolverine, marten, moose, and black bear. Other mammals in the park include Arctic fox, beaver, muskox, grizzly bear, and barren-ground caribou. The area has red granite cliffs and features many peninsulas, canyons, and waterfalls where forests transition into northern tundra. Many migratory bird species, including ducks and songbirds, also stop to rest and nest in the area.
History
In 1970, plans to create a national park covering 7,340 km (2,830 sq mi) in the region were canceled under the Territorial Lands Act. However, in 2001, the Łutsël K'é Dene First Nation (formerly known as Snowdrift) reconsidered the idea. From 2002 to 2004, discussions were held to study whether the park could be created, and the Métis Nation joined the process. By 2005, the Łutselk'e First Nation created a resolution supporting the idea of a national park as part of a larger effort to protect their traditional lands, working with other Akaitcho First Nations. In 2006, the Łutselk'e Dene First Nation and government officials signed an agreement that expanded the area under consideration for the park by 26,350 km (10,170 sq mi) and outlined steps for future collaboration. The park was expected to be created by 2009, but by 2014, final agreements had not been reached.
In 2014, the government of the Northwest Territories took control of the 33,690 km (13,010 sq mi) study area through the Northwest Territories Devolution Act. The following year, the government introduced a plan to protect 75% of the area by combining a smaller National Park Reserve of 14,000 km (5,400 sq mi) with other territorial protections. Public discussions about the smaller park boundaries ended in 2016. The federal government’s 2016 budget included funding to help establish the Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve.
On June 10, 2015, Parks Canada and the Northwest Territories Métis Nation reached a preliminary agreement on most parts of an Impact and Benefit Agreement. This agreement requires further review and discussion by both groups.
On July 29, 2015, the Canadian government announced the proposed boundary for the Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve and began formal discussions about it.
On February 15, 2019, the Łutselk'e Dene First Nation voted to approve the creation of the Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve. On August 21, 2019, an agreement was signed by Parks Canada, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and three First Nations (Łutsel K’é Dene First Nation, Deninu K’ue First Nation, and Yellowknives Dene First Nation). The agreement established a protected area including a 14,305 km (5,523 sq mi) national park managed by Parks Canada and a 12,220 km (4,720 sq mi) area managed by the territorial government, which includes a wildlife conservation area.