Tusaayaksat – 2021-1 (Special Edition)

25 KIINAT —FACES

UKIUT —YEARS

2021 — #1

QUVIASUKTUAT 25NI UKIUNI INMAN

TUKTUT NURRAIT TANMAAQTARVIK

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF TUKTUT

NOGAIT NATIONAL PARK

Taiguaksanik Sanayi Publisher — Inuvialuit Makpiraatigun

Qaritauyakkun Katimaqatigiit / Inuvialuit Communications Society

Uvani Ukiumi Ikayuqtuat Makpiraaliuqtuanun This Issue's Editorial

Team — Tracey Wolki (Guest Editor), Stephanie Yuill, Jason Lau (Editor)

Angalatchiyi ICS Manager — Tamara Voudrach

Aglakvingmi Makpiraaliqyi Office Administrator — Roseanne Rogers

Savaanik Ilisaqtuat Ikayuqtut Interns — Mataya Gillis, Angelina Jerome, Lexis McDonald

Aglauyanun Angalatchiyi Art Director — Kyle Natkusiak Aleekuk

TAIGUAKSANUN ILIYUKSAT SANNAIYAQTI

EDITORIAL

Unipkaaqtit Storytellers Colleen Arnison, Mataya Gillis, Peter Green, Noel Green, Ruben Green, Lisa Hodgetts, Steve Illasiak, Rose Kirby, Bill Kudlak, Muffa Kudlak, Paden Lennie, Kate Leonard, Sadie

Lester, Natasha Lyons, Lexis McDonald, Jonah Nakimayak, Herbert Nakimayak, Tom Nesbitt, Ashley Piskor, Edward Ruben, Chris Ruben, Craig Ruben, Donna Ruben, Mark Ruben, Jr., Albert Ruben, Sr., Ray Ruben, Sr., Lanita Thrasher, Tracey Wolki, Frances Wolki, Brianna Wolki, Marlene Wolki, Esther Wolki, Stephanie Yuill

Aglauyaqtit Artists Hayleigh Conway (Special Edition Tuktut Nogait National Park map), Lung Liu, Logan Ruben

Sallirmiut Uqausinik Ilisimatuyuat Sallirmiutun Consultants —

Beverly Amos, Albert Elias

Apiqsuqti Interviewer — Lily Ann Green

Agliutiliuqti Photographer — Sandra Thrasher

SIVUNNIUQTIT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ataniq Sivulliuqtinun President, Iñuuvik — Lucy Kuptana

VP, Tuktuuyaqtuuq — Debbie Raddi

Treasurer, Ulukhaqtuuq — Joseph Haluksit

Aktlarvik Director — Frederick Arey

Paulatuuq Director — Denise Wolki

Ikaariaq (Sachs) Director — Jean Harry

MAKPIRAANIK SAVAKVINGA

BUSINESS OFFICE

Inuvialuit Communications Society (ICS)

292 Mackenzie Rd. / P.O. Box 1704

Inuvik, NT, Canada, X0E 0T0

QARITAUYAMI KATITAT ATJIGIIKTUAT WEBSITE

www.ics.live

AKILITCHILUNI TAIGUAKSANIK AQUIQTUUN

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Contact icsfinance@northwestel.net or phone +1 (867) 777-2320 to subscribe or renew. One free magazine per registered Inuvialuit Household. For non-Inuvialuit: $20 CAD (1 year) and $36 CAD (2 years).

TUTQIKTAT CORRECTIONS

In our Fall 2020 edition, the proper photo credit on page 10 should be Chelsea Soneff. We apologize for not reflecting this in print.

MANRIT QAITAT ATUAKSAT FUNDING

Inuvialuit Regional Corporation; Government of Northwest Territories (Education, Culture, and Employment)

ICS-min Aglait

LETTERS FROM ICS

his commemorative issue of Tusaayaksat honours the 25th anniversary of Tuktut Nogait National Park (tuktut nurrait is a Sallirmiutun descriptive term for a caribou calf that is between birth and one year of age). When we were looking to feature the community of Paulatuuq in a meaningful way, we found that the community and Parks Canada were gearing up to celebrate TNNP this year, and Tusaayaksat Magazine and Parks Canada established a partnering agreement in order to honour these stories. Quyanainni to Parks Canada for providing us with many in-kind resources to complete this work, and especially to our guest editor Tracey Wolki (Public Outreach Education Officer), and Stephanie Yuill (TNNP Site Manager), whose enthusiasm and passion for this project from start to finish made all the difference.

Themed 25 Faces, this issue features profiles and personal accounts from 25 individuals. The community of Paulatuuq speaks for itself regarding not only the negotiation, establishment, and management of the park—but also each individual’s cultural and personal connection to it.

TNNP has helped to preserve the Bluenose-West caribou herd and their traditional calving grounds and foster the relationships Inuvialuit have to the herd and the land they roam. For this reason alone, its care is a significant undertaking, and one which the community of Paulatuuq is quite proud of.

We hope that this issue of Tusaayaksat can assist the park and its stakeholders in inspiring passion for its ongoing management, preservation, and promotion. We especially would like to see youth continue to get involved in caretaking and learning more about the park. Finally, it was our goal for this issue to also serve as an archive for the community of Paulatuuq and Inuvialuit as a whole.

Quyanainni,

TAMARA VOUDRACH ANGALATCHIYI / MANAGER, INUVIALUIT MAKPIRAATIGUN QARITAUYAKKUN KATIMAQATIGIIT / ICS

eading this special edition of Tusaayaksat page through page, I am so happy for the people of Paulatuuq to tell their stories about one of their greatest achievements—negotiating an agreement with Canada to co-manage a National Park in their own backyard. Reading through these stories is like reading through a history book. I am impressed by the tenacity of the negotiators to remain vigilant in their approach to protect the calving grounds of the Bluenose caribou herd. The vision and foresight it took for Elders and negotiators to get this done and the confidence in their voices is a strong measure for all of us to follow.

This edition features visionary accounts of the negotiators and stories of Paulatuuq youth marvelling at the beauty and pristine nature of the park—who understand the privilege and responsibility that this park is now theirs to protect. Thank you to the Paulatuuq Elders, negotiating team, and community for making this happen and securing the park’s legacy.

One of the 25 faces featured is Frances Wolki. I grew up with Frances in Grollier Hall. We came from two different communities—Paulatuuq and Aktlarvik—but that didn’t stop us from becoming lifelong friends. Gathering together in Grollier come September at the start of each school year, we would share stories of our communities, our adventures, and our activities on the land or in the bush. She would always share a great story or two— sometimes a scary story or a funny story. They were never boring! I’ve attended corporate tours to all communities in the ISR for the last twenty years and I can tell you that I miss her and her strong and unwavering voice. After she passed, I vowed I would live more like Frances in her memory, to do things that I would have never considered doing previously.

I am happy to flip through all the photos, the different geographical characteristics within the park, the wildlife within the park, and the beauty of the land. Please enjoy this wonderful edition of Tusaayaksat. The stories and photos give all of us a glimpse of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region—a place we are privileged to call home.

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF WORKING TOGETHER

Tuktut Nogait National Park was originally proposed by the community of Paulatuuq in 1988, and then through the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (NWT) in 1990. On June 5, 1996, the park’s establishment agreement was signed between the Government of Canada, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Inuvialuit Game Council, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the Paulatuuq Community Corporation and the Paulatuuq Hunters and Trappers Committee. Following the completion of the Impact and Benefit Plan for the Expansion of Tuktut National Park of Canada into the Sahtú Settlement Region (2005), the park was expanded and a representative of the Déline Land Corporation—now the Déline Gotine Government—was included on the Board.

The park was established to protect the calving grounds of the Bluenose-West caribou herd and to ensure the herd remains a traditional hunting source for the community.

The Tuktut Nogait Management Board has functioned in a spirit of cooperation and consensus decision-making throughout the park’s history, considering Traditional Knowledge alongside western science. The Board operates under two land claim agreements: the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (1984), and the Sahtú Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement (1993). The people of Paulatuuq and Déline have a direct say in what happens in their backyard.

Parks Canada is honoured to have worked with the communities of Paulatuuq and Déline over the last 25 years. Tuktut Nogait now has established monitoring programs in the park for Bluenose-West caribou, lemmings, raptors, water quality, and permafrost. Over 360 archaeological sites have been discovered in the park, indicating 1,000 years of human habitation. Traditional harvesting by Inuvialuit continues on the land as it has for generations.

Tuktut Nogait’s cooperative management framework has built strong relationships with its board members and the communities over the last 25 years. It has protected the land for use by future generations of Inuvialuit and Sahtúogt’ine. Parks Canada looks forward to strengthening these relationships into the future and continuing to learn from the people who know the land best.

DAVID EBERT Field Unit Superintendent Western Arctic Field Unit, Parks Canada

face

IKAYUQTUAQ MAKPIRAAMUN AGLAANGA LETTER FROM THE GUEST EDITOR

My name is Tracey Wolki. I’m from and live in Paulatuuq with my fiancé Jonathan and daughter Chase. My parents are Hank and Marlene Wolki and my ataatak (my mom’s dad) was one of the original negotiators for Tuktut Nogait National Park, which is pretty cool. I also have two sisters and four brothers, and about over a hundred plus cousins!

My mother Marlene Wolki is one of the people who inspired me growing up. She has worked with Parks Canada for over ten years. I would always come see her almost every day after school at the office. It was so bright and inviting; to see some photos and sites of the park and the art was so beautiful.

For me, the work she was doing was really interesting: taking students on the land, programs with Angik School, hiking, and so on. I told myself that one day I would follow her footsteps and work there.

So, when I heard the position was open around 2014, I jumped on the opportunity. There was a number of us who got called in for interviews,

and I was one of them. Despite being the quiet, shy person I am, I answered all of the questions like it was natural because I grew up with all of it. I didn’t hear from them for a long time until Maya March was hired as Site Manager in 2014. When I got the job, I felt so lucky and happy that I started crying even! Maya asked me when I could start, and I said, “Today, if you want me to!”

The first people who I told were my parents. They were really happy for me. It was so cool that I was going to finally work where my mom worked!

When I first started working at Parks in March 2015, it was a little bit overwhelming, to be honest. My first couple of months working was non-stop training—wilderness first responder, firearms training, and bear awareness.

All of that was done in Inuuvik. Right after training, we went straight into the Hornaday River trip, which was two weeks. Then, after that was the Board Meeting out at the park. Being new to all of that, I liked it—but it was like ‘go-go-go’ until maybe August or September. Our summers are always like that, and this one in 2021 was no exception!

When I got the job, I felt so lucky and happy that I started crying even!

“ Me on my first year of working at Parks, posing at La Roncière Falls after a canoe trip at a Management Board Meeting, 2015. Photo submitted by Tracey Wolki/Parks Canada.

Here I am on my sixth year with Parks Canada—and I couldn’t be happier! I’ve had the good fortune to paddle the Hornaday River, hike to Many Caches, visit La Roncière falls, organize and attend a Tuktut Nogait Management Board meeting in the park, fly on a muskox survey, and put on various events for our park and community.

This year we celebrated the 25th year of the Tuktut Nogait Establishment Agreement being signed. We had a lot of Outreach Programs to celebrate the anniversary—a 25-day scavenger hunt, radio bingo, signatory dinner, and a time capsule on Inuvialuit Day (just to name a few).

My experience as Tusaayaksat Guest Editor was exciting and stressful at the same time. It was challenging both trying to gather the 25 Faces of TNNP and making sure I put a lot of time into with our busiest season (summer) at work. Some days I had to push back one or the other. Either way, I’m really happy for the opportunity to be the Guest Editor for this special issue and I would do it all over again!

My hope is that the readers get to see and read about how important and special this place is. My most memorable time in the park was when Lanita Thrasher and I got to go on the Hornaday River Monitoring Trip. No matter how hard it was (from the weather or trying to

paddle) we would always find a way to giggle and be happy when we settled for the night.

I would like to thank my managers and all of the staff of Parks Canada’s Western Arctic Field Unit (WAFU), because everything we did wouldn’t have gone on without the help of our team. I would also like to thank Tusaayaksat for this opportunity to be Guest Editor.

Linda Binder was the first Inuvialuk superintendent of WAFU. I hope that one day in the future I will be the first Inuvialuk Site Manager of Tuktut Nogait National Park!

Tracey Wolki Guest Editor, Tusaayaksat Spring/Summer 2021

My hope is that the readers get to see and read about how important and special this place is.

Tuktut Nogait Nurrait

no meaning LANGUAGE — SALLIRMIUTUN P TUKTU — SINGULAR CARIBOU P NURRAQ — SINGULAR CALF

caribous (plural) 25 YEARS OF TUKTUT NOGAIT (NURRAIT) NATIONAL PARK 11

Tuktut Nogait Nurrait

We invested a lot of time at the outset of the negotiations in finding common purposes—and ultimately unique purposes—for this national park. We discussed a name for the park. We were looking for a single image that could convey the essential purpose(s) of the park. I remember the negotiation session in question. We could find nowhere else to meet, so we agreed to try the second floor of the old Mission Church in Paulatuuq. It’s a very old place, with a sense of history, time, single-paned windows, low ceiling, and creaky wooden floorboards, all illuminated by a yellow light bulb hanging from the ceiling—a good place to meet, negotiate and choose a name. We discussed the image we wanted to convey for this place. We wanted an image that could live in

peoples’ imaginations. We agreed on the image of caribou calves, dropped by their mothers on the tundra, still wet from birth, and on uncertain legs. We asked Edward Ruben, the Elder who sat with us diligently throughout the negotiations, what words he would use to convey this image. He thought and spoke carefully, as he always did. Edward told us that there is a phrase in Inuvialuktun, for caribou calves, from the first moment of their birth to one year of age: tuktut nurrait Everyone immediately agreed on this name. Paulatuuq later confirmed the name and ultimately the Tuktut Nogait Agreement as a whole, in door-to-door meetings carried out— twice—by Peter Green, Noel Green, and Albert Ruben Sr., three of the members of the Paulatuuq negotiating team. The other members of the negotiating team were Nelson Green, Tony Green, Edward Ruben and Pat Ruben, and later, Markus Ruben.

My only regret about our name, then and now, is that we accepted a translator’s assertion that we had to spell the name “Tuktut Nogait”, which doesn’t—in English—sound at all like the phrase in Inuvialuktun. I protested but had to give way to the translator’s authority. My concern, then and now, is that unless we are able to change the spelling to “Tuktut Nurrait”, we will all have lost the opportunity to hear and speak the term as Edward Ruben and other Inuvialuit Elders do: “nurrait”. This includes young Inuvialuit, who want to connect with their language and the land. It’s a beautiful word and language, spoken in the back of the throat, with a strongly rolling r's. “Tuktut Nogait” means nothing in Inuvialuktun.

—TOM NESBITT, CHAIR OF TUKTUT NOGAIT

NATIONAL PARK MANAGEMENT BOARD

The Park is named after the Bluenose-West caribou herd that migrates within the park to their calving grounds where baby caribou are born. —BRIANNA

WOLKI

The name itself says exactly why we named it. The area is for protection, because you got newborns all over the place and especially one area north of the park. The worst thing would be any kind of human developments that would take away from the freedom that they have in that area. We know by satellite and collars where the sites are and where they are concentrating on their calving. The park is not primarily for tourism, it’s not for any other wildlife—it’s specific to caribou and its young. —RAY

RUBEN SR.

It was named by Elders. Tuktut nurrait means "young caribou calves" and the community of Paulatuuq decided on the national park status because they wanted the most stringent park with a Co-Management Board. The community has a say in the operation of Tuktut Nogait through the representation on the Board; it’s by consensus and we have our say in what we want and the future.

—MUFFA KUDLAK

When they were trying to negotiate the park with Canada, they came up with the name Tuktut Nurrait, meaning “caribou calves”. My late uncle Edward Ruben and Tony Green were really fluent in their own language and was able to pick that up right away. Being fluent with Inuvialuktun and English, they said: “One thing we need to do is protect our caribous.” And of course, they would say, caribous! That’s just one of the things that happen when you try to translate tuktu versus tuktut meaning plural; nurrait meaning young calves. One caribou, or more caribou? Tuktut means more than one. It’s really good that Edward and Tony as negotiators have given what is now known as "Tuktut Nogait" a meaningful name. —RUBEN

GREEN

It was the Elders that we sought direction from when it came to naming that park. We had some Elders in the committee: Edward Ruben, my grandfather, my dad Garett Ruben, Tony Green, and Marcus Ruben. We asked someone to come up with a name. They knew why we were negotiating that park: for the caribou calving ground. So, to them: tuktut nurrait means newborn caribou. We thought: “We’ll name it after the purpose that we negotiated for the park: to protect new caribou and their calving grounds."

—ALBERT RUBEN

SR.

My concern, then and now, is that unless we are able to change the spelling to “Tuktut Nurrait”, we will all have lost the opportunity to hear and speak the term as Edward Ruben and other Inuvialuit Elders do: “nurrait”.

—Tom Nesbitt

TNNP Sugautait Quviasugviani Celebratory Events

The Signatory Dinner—just seeing all our leaders and caretakers of the park talking about it really showed their accomplishment of where the park is today from the beginning to the celebration of the 25th anniversary. Really, you could tell from Peter, Noel, and Albert at the dinner—those guys really fought for Tuktut Nogait.

Today, with the kids that are gonna be heading out to the park, who knows? They could be caretakers, too, or the ones to keep fighting to keep our park pristine. We have a really rich land. Just keeping the land pristine itself, it’s something that I want our young people to keep it going and even fight for it. Never stop.

—MARLENE WOLKI

Inuuniarvingmiiqatigiiktuat Ikayuriiktuat

It has taken a community to create, support, and guide Tuktut Nogait National Park over the years. The Editorial Team has tried their best to include as many individuals as possible; some had declined to be featured. In addition to those already recognized in this publication, we honour: Nelson Green, Nellie Cournoyea, Roger Connelly, Tony Green, Pat Ruben, Hank Wolki, Marcus Ruben, Linda Binder, Diane Ruben, Charlie Neyelle, Joe Tetso, Gordon Hamre, Judi Cozzetto, Christian Bucher, Alan Fehr, Diane Wilson, Ifan Thomas, Alan Latourelle, Gordon Norberg, and a host of other Parks Canada staff.

SIVULLIQPAUYUAT ISULALIUQATIGIIT THE ORIGINAL NEGOTIATION TEAM

” From left to right: Tom Nesbitt, Tony Green, Pat Ruben, Nelson Green, Edward Ruben, Peter Green, Albert Ruben Sr., Noel Green, Doug Harvey (Parks Canada), and Gordon Hamre (Parks Canada).

Peter Green

I have been to the park three or four times. I love the scenery there. Miles and miles… And the thing that strikes me most is the area. You could see the caribou come in and crossing in the park during July and August. I enjoyed being out in the park and being part of the team because we went to Johnny Green Bay as part of the negotiations (my grandfather’s on my dad’s side).

The Tuktut Nogait Agreement is a supplement to our Inuvialuit Final Agreement (IFA), the way I see it. It was the result of people who participated after the signing of the IFA that established us to move forward. It came from the IFA and its provisions for the community to do a conservation plan—that's where it all got sparked.

There were no provisions for an area that the Bluenose herd can calve in, so that became our priority. We said: “Hey, there's a bit more work to do.” The community chose the caribou—the calving grounds for the Bluenose

to be in. And that’s written in the IFA specifically; it is one of the priority resources.

The basis to make it happen was negotiated, and then we had a Land Use Planning exercise that the GNWT funded, which provided another layer with it. What they provided was their input on the issue of the Bluenose herd.

We said: “Here, everybody, each household, each person, each caribou. Okay, let's do it then.” All you needed was contacts and community interviews. So, that was the beginning of it.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Tony Green was an important part of the foundational work that was done. He went on surveys, did caribou counts, and archaeological work on the east side of the park with a guy called Mark Stevenson. He took Mark on foot with him. The wildlife, bird, fish—all that kind of stuff needed to be catalogued. That work was done on foot— you didn’t use the helicopter. They walked all over, looked at the archaeological old sites, and catalogued them.

I’m glad because he was accustomed to all this—he knew the Land, and he took out the right person, catalogued the area. That reinforced us in the work that we did and highlighted what's there, what areas were more critical than others, and why.

When you speak to the people in Paulatuuq, many of them will recall the older ones who would go door-todoor. During those times there was not much in the way of information; we had to dig, just like you and me. I enjoyed that.

We had plenty of discussions; lots of talk. Each had many good information that I’ve never experienced— especially Edward Ruben. Like, what's there and what time of the year, what happens. A lot of information came from just living here and people speaking to me, telling me what they’re doing, what happens out there, and the different seasons of the year. For example, the Brock River had some pretty high cliffs and there'd be falcons and other birds that nested in that area—it's something that only people out there would experience. They talked about the caribou and the disturbances that other wildlife like aktlaq (Grizzly Bear) has caused to the movements of caribou.

A lot of hunters and trappers went out to harvest— trapping, fishing, you name it. They were the backbone of this work. All of that information came from them, not me. I just put that information in a language that everyone understood, as well as on the government, legal side. I helped put that together on paper and that’s why we were able to be where we are at today.

Everyone did a part. It took a team of people to do it—all of them, in their own way, in their own language, in the way they describe things. Each person there made a contribution.

NEGOTIATING AT WHALING CAMP

We went there with the Arctic Tern, I think. We travelled there by boat, and the parks people flew in. We had to get there and set up the camp so we went there a day or so ahead of them. We had community people there, too. We all sat around in the open air and had the negotiations there—discussions, talk. The birds flying over and the loons. Seals coming up in the bay there.

It was a good time for me but I've learned that I'm not an “on-the-land” person. I never did grow up in that environment. But my three other brothers? They all did. And I was the guy who just sat there! [laughs]

MESSAGE FOR VISITORS

It's not a recreational area. Many Parks in Canada were set up just to have that provision for tourists to go and camp. This one here is a bit more restrictive because you don't want 'people traffic' to be in the midst of the caribou calving grounds. The less disturbance that they give the caribou there, the better off it's gonna be. We don't need helicopters; we don't need airplanes zooming by during the calving period.

People come and go but we still have the land. In fact, it’s getting larger! We have a ton of support from people all across Canada. We say: welcome. But, we know that there are limitations to that. Cost is one thing. We also don't want shiploads of people going out on the land because it's not designed for that—unless you come as an individual.

There was a case where we had to send a rescue team to get a guy out of the park. He ran out of everything, eh? And it was wintertime.

So, I try to discourage people from the outside coming in kind of “green” in terms of on-the-land. You come out of nowhere; you want to enjoy? Well, do your homework. Talk to another person, ask: “Hey, what do I need to do?” That's the purpose of the parks Canada office here.

Provide respect; that’s why the park is there. Another whole component of it is educating people, just like how Inuvialuit harvesters have educated me. I'm not there harvesting; I do a bit of fishing, but not like these guys— they depend on it, eh?

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Somebody is gonna be questioning someday as an individual and think: “Where is my contribution to Tuktut Nogait?” And once they get to the core reason for it—the caribou calving ground—I’m pretty sure they’ll step forward and say: “Hey, let me replace this guy.” [laughs]

I think as long as this community is here, the work will be ongoing. It’s been 37 years since we signed the IFA, and Parks has been an expansion of it. We even have Déline now. I was very happy for the community to be very supportive of maintaining their sight of the park and on the area that they chose. It's not a big part of Tuktut Nogait— but enough. We treat them as partners—as should Parks. They enjoy that, they love it. I still meet people in Yellowknife and Inuuvik, and you come across people that you have met over the years.

People come and go. I think what's bigger is why the park is there, and that's going to encourage them to maintain what's there. That's all I can say. I cannot say it might be a change of wind or something.

Make sure that the intention of the park and the purpose for it are understood. It is not just another recreational park. This one here is about sustaining caribou and ensuring that what they do in the spring is carried throughout our lifetime.

I want the world to understand why Tuktut Nogait is there, to begin with. That's not just on paper. Actually go see the park—but don’t disturb, stay your distance, half a mile away, and do what you can.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIPS

When we were setting up the park here, we wanted to ensure that we have our non-Inuvialuit partners to the Agreement present, here, ensuring they’re doing what they can to support the work that was being done. So far, it has worked out okay. I cannot dispute any of that. As a matter of fact, I welcome it because they're in partnership with the Inuvialuit here. And as long as they can maintain that—it’s a good thing.

There's a reason for partnerships. We’re not alone in this park, and Canada is not alone. So, to have them at the same table and talking the same language, the same things I'm saying, is important. That's what I see 25 years from now and I believe it will be here. It’s a partnership deal, a working partnership, so that’s why I see it working in the future.

The current park manager here (Stephanie Yuill) I’m glad to see and meet her. There’s a lot of good people, and all the people that are my age are the ones that founded this park. These kinds of people, I credit—including the community—because they held on to the same beliefs I had and the same kind of mission that we have for the park. And that's what matters. That's what counts. What happens 25 years from now? Well, the core values have to be there, and that's what's gonna keep it going.

I want the world to understand why Tuktut Nogait is there, to begin with. That's not just on paper. Actually go see the park—but don’t disturb, stay your distance, half a mile away, and do what you can.

THE NEGOTIATING TEAM

After the community work was done, we formed a group. Pretty soon that led to the negotiations. The people that we had on our side were all committed to ensuring that there is the provision there to protect the calving grounds of the Bluenose herd. We were passionate about that— committed.

Ron Seale contributed a lot. He believed in us. It was weird to see a government person who was really for it, especially on the wildlife side. I recall him now because they did have a lot of discussions: “This is not about the government, it’s about the caribou.” To me, he was right on track. I was so sorry he died, though.

Lots of people you see around the table are not here anymore. I could just picture them today and what they said, what kind of issues that we had to deal with.

Ted was my brother-in-law. He lived in the community. He had to brief the directors and staff on the Inuvialuit side. During the negotiations, the IRC would be here and have him on their side because he’s worked for the community corporation. Ted let them know that we’ve undertaken some work so far and this is where we’re at, and that led to the negotiations. We were happy to have him on our side.

The negotiators who are no longer with us would say it's amazing… we’re still here! You know, that's the same with the IFA. 36 or 37 years have come and gone, and I say: hey, I'm still here. [laughs]

” A negotiating meeting taking place at the old Paulatuuq Hamlet Office Hall. Bottom left to right (clockwise): James Ruben Sr. (former Paulatuuq Mayor), Tony Green, Edward Ruben, Tom Nesbitt (back turned), Peter Green, Albert Ruben Sr., Nelson Green, Noel Green, unknown, Ron Seale (GNWT), unknown.

Nunaapakmiut. It’s a land and it’s very huge, one of the biggest parts of the NWT. And that’s because the caribou don’t sit and stay there. They travel and migrate, and they need the space to do that.

Green

—Peter

Noel Green

Iwas a negotiator and was sitting on the TNNP Management Board, which I just stepped down from in January 2020. We the people of Paulatuuq initiated the park. We approached Parks Canada to see if we could get good protection for our caribou calving grounds. That’s the specialty of it. We wanted to find the strongest legislation for our caribou and land that they are using as their calving ground. So, Parks Canada offered the strongest legislation and from there we negotiated with them. It’s the first and foremost that this Park was set up for.

I would like to recognize our Elders for helping the working group settle the negotiations with Parks Canada—we had a lot of inputs out of our Elders. We would meet with the Elders before we met with Parks Canada, and we have to recognize those people. And, there’s quite a few of us on the negotiating team that’s gone, but not forgotten.

The park was named after “young caribous”—nurrait It came from our Elders. There was a meeting that we had to name the park, and our Elders came up with this: Tuktut Nurrait—which is the main reason for that park. That’s what it was put up for—caribou.

Whenever we go out for our Management Board meetings, I love being up there. I remember there was one spot within the Hornaday River—it was beautiful. Even the rest of our group will tell you the same thing. It’s not far from La Roncière Falls, it’s further up… I’d say about four or five miles up from there. It’s only a few minutes from where we were sitting—that nice, peaceful, beautiful spot. The coolest thing I have seen is those caches. Caribous were crossing that spot for hundreds of years! And they’re still using it. You go back there, and you see all these caches there, and you can see where they put their qainnat/qatjat (canoes) up, on stands. And you see the caribou trails where the caribous come up by. That’s a really cool place! They can hide in the rocks and caribou won’t even see you. And they pass right close to you. That’s how they were getting their caribou with their bows and spears, at that time.

IN THE FUTURE

As long as our Bluenose-West caribou herds are on the increase… First and foremost is that we need to get our herd back to big numbers that we were used to seeing, back in the 70s, 80s.

Albert Ruben Sr.

I think we broke new ground in a couple of areas. One of the big things that we were looking for right from the get-go was a co-management system with Parks Canada for Tuktut Nogait.

You know—caribou is one of our traditional main staples. So, the important thing to me whether it’s for our Elders, or us, or our future generations, is that we accomplished what we set out to do. And that main thing that we set out to do, was to protect that caribou calving grounds. You know, for a while there was some development interest in our area? We wanted to make sure that if there was going to be any development in the area, it would stay outside of the protected area, the park. So at least we would be able to keep that maintained, protecting that caribou calving ground for us all, for our Elders, for our future generations.

We initiated the establishment of a national park. Before we decided to negotiate for our park, we sought

I was one of the initial nine original negotiators for the establishment of Tuktut Nogait National Park (TNNP). I was also one of the first members on the TNNP Management Board.

information on all of the different ways we could protect that caribou calving ground. We found out at that time we had 27 options—27 different ways that we could protect that caribou calving ground. We looked at those options, and we selected three: national park, territorial park, or a national wildlife reserve. After we narrowed it down to the three, we decided we wanted to find the strongest way to protect that land for the caribou and that was the establishment of a national park. So, we invited Parks Canada.

When they came, the first thing that they told us was that if that area became a national park, it’s gonna be only Parks Canada’s to manage. We said: “Hang on. That’s not what we’re looking for. This is land for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. We are not gonna turn that land over to you to manage.” We started walking out of the meeting. They said: “Oh no, come back, come back. We could hold discussions—what is it that you want?”

The first thing that came out of our mouths was: “We wanna co-manage with you, the area we’re gonna establish as a Park.” And they got up! Because in their minds, when it comes to Parks, it’s theirs to manage. And we didn’t stop them: “Buh bye! If you guys wanna go off, and you’re not gonna negotiate this co-management, we got other people we can invite.” And they stopped near the door and came back in.

Every time something from our part came up, they always said they had to check with their colleagues in Ottawa. They didn’t want to make any decisions on their own. We initially had a rough start because we weren’t gonna have them manage; we weren’t gonna turn that land to them.

NEGOTIATING ALONGSIDE ELDERS

When it came to negotiating, some words that parks Canada used, the Elders couldn’t really understand. Myself, Peter, and Nelson had a good understanding of the English language, so we were interpreting both ways. If an Elder said something, then we’d interpret it the way that that Elder intended to say it. We made a point to have the Elders whenever it came to something about the land—because they knew about the land. We were not gonna be the main speakers on any issues on the land.

My ataatak Edward Ruben, he couldn’t read. When he got his paper for the meeting, he would look at me:

“Inuktaluk, this is just dirty paper!” Because he can’t read, he said: “You know what? They should at least give it to me the other side, at least they’ll give me clean paper!”

And he was the oldest. Sometimes he asked us, “Why am I there? You guys don’t need me.” And our point was: we need you, we need my dad, we need Tony, we need all these Elders, Marcus—we need them. While we younger people understood the words, we needed the Elders’ experience about when it came to talking about the land. That’s where they took over.

“And when you guys are talking, we listen. Us younger people probably understand what Parks are saying. We’ll try to answer their questions, but we’ll always check with you to make sure that we give the right answer based on what you say. We’re not gonna use exact words you’re using, but we’re gonna try to explain to them, hopefully, the way you intended. If we started to go a little wrong, you just tell us we misunderstood.”

We always made sure that there was a clear understanding between ourselves and the Elders and the parks people, especially there, because every time an Elder said something, Parks always posed questions and it wasn’t easy for the Elders to understand what they’re asking or why they’re asking. So that’s where we got involved in making sure they understood what the Elders said. But we always checked with the Elder: “Did I explain it right?” So, we were interpreters, as and were.

My grandfather would say: “Inrutaaluk (grandchild), I never been to school. Not smart as you people.”

You know, the Elders have a lot of Traditional Knowledge (TK)? They are well educated. I would say: “Woah, woah, woah! You’re smarter than us. Give yourself credit!” And Ataatak was sitting here, talking about Parks with these people. I could talk because I went to school. But I make it simple; I says (and I point to a map): “Ataatak when it comes to this the map you are the one who knows everything. You Elders. That’s where you guys are smart.”

I says: “Never underestimate that kind of knowledge, because you’re smart that way, we’re not so much.” To us who were involved in deciding who was going to make up the board, we thought of all the bases that were going to be covered. And one of the bases was TK, the involvement of Elders because they have so much TK as far as the use of the land, the land itself, the wildlife… and that’s where we felt that they were going to be the most useful. And we’re gonna let them take over when it came to discussions on those.

“ THE COOLEST THING I'VE SEEN

During the time that we were negotiating, we got to go to the La Roncière Falls (above) and also up the Brock River Canyon. The thing that sticks in my mind about the Brock River Canyon—it looked like castles, the way the rocks are configured. When we were touring Brock, you know it has high canyons? We’re flying, and we’re looking at cliffs on the other side. That was cool!

We made a point to have the Elders whenever it came to something about the land—because they knew about the land. We were not gonna be the main speakers on any issues on the land.

NEGOTIATING AT WHALING CAMP

One time, Parks Canada had a deadline that they had to meet and we had to have a negotiation session with them. We whale hunt in July, and the deadline they had was July. So what we did was, we said: “Okay, we’ll hold a meeting in July, but we’ll hold it at the whaling camp.” So that’s what we did.

Normally, our meetings were three days per negotiating session, but because we were on the land and we might have been harvesting while we were there, we told them: “Don’t plan for three days for when you come up, plan for a week. Get your supplies for a week, because even though we’re at a meeting, if someone hauls in a whale—bye, bye! No more meeting!”

THE SAHTU EXTENSION

One thing that I don’t think people know is: when we were negotiating, we were restricted to the areas within the ISR, but we left room for the Sahtu in the South and people in Nunavut to the East of the ISR to join TNNP if they chose to. We haven’t heard from Nunavut yet, but the Sahtu people already have joined in with the park in the area south of the ISR, and the park has been extended to areas within the Sahtu Region. When it came to the Co-Management Board, we left seats open and available to other Aboriginal groups should they join our park. Since the Sahtu region has joined, they do have a board member on the Management Board.

Because it was outside of our jurisdiction, it wasn’t us that went to the Sahtu people, it was Parks Canada. We gave them the direction: go talk to the Sahtu and see if they’re interested in extending the park south of our ISR. And the reason we did that was because the caribou migrates, and we wanted to leave it open to extend the

park boundary to part of the migration corridor, mainly to the South. When we had this park established (which we are now co-managing) we accomplished what we always wanted to do, which was to protect that caribou calving ground.

THE FUTURE OF TNNP

If we had our way—I’d like to see nothing new except what we negotiated for. When we were negotiating with Parks Canada, their main theme was tourism. But, the very primary reason we negotiated for that park was to protect the caribou calving ground. Everything else was secondary, whether it’s tourism, or archaeological research, or whatever. All that stuff that parks Canada has as main interests in maintaining or developing national parks to us became secondary—everything else.

During our negotiations, when we negotiated with Parks Canada, we timelined all of the areas that were of importance to us, as local negotiators. I haven’t been involved in the Board for years, but I was one of the first. We the negotiators laid all the groundwork for what needs to be done in the park. The current joint committee doesn’t have to negotiate for anything—all they have to do is implement.

When you’re negotiating for the park, we made decisions about what was important to us at that time. But you know, as time goes by, things change. So that advice I’d give the next generation is: realize the changes and work with those changes to continue doing what we intended to do. Never forget why that land is established as a park: for the protection of the caribou calving area. And if you have to make changes, make changes, whatever might need to be done for that time of day—but never forget that important reason why that park is.

QILALUKKIAQTUAQ

WENT HUNTING BELUGA WHALES

tuktut nurrait. Welovethe

—Albert Ruben Sr.

Piqparigivut

cariboucalves.The importance of that land is the caribou—that’s where they calve. We would protect the caribou calving ground anywhere.

PHOTO by LUNG LIU

Tom Nesbitt

One of the primary responsibilities of a facilitator is to help create and maintain the space within which consensus can be developed. As the chair of the park Management Board (since 1998), I try to help people remember, understand, and fully uphold the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (IFA), the Sahtu Dene and Métis Land Claim Agreement, and the Tuktut Nogait Agreement.

When I began working in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) in the late 1980s, the people of Paulatuuq proposed the establishment of Tuktut Nogait National Park (Tuktut Nurrait). They did this primarily to protect the calving grounds of the Bluenose caribou herd (at the time, understood to be one herd), which now lie largely within the national park. And they did this in the context of the IFA.

The IFA (1984) fundamentally changed relationships, by creating more equitable relationships between Inuvialuit

and the federal and territorial governments. Inuvialuit now have a strong say in how questions affecting Inuvialuit life, culture, economy, and environment are to be addressed and resolved. Inuvialuit are the original inhabitants of the land in the ISR.

The Tuktut Nogait Agreement provides for the consensus-based management of Tuktut Nogait National Park and confirms that Inuvialuit rights, including harvesting rights, run throughout the national park.

Several parties negotiated the Tuktut Nogait Agreement between 1991 and 1996. They include the Paulatuuq Hunters and Trappers Committee, the Paulatuuq Community Corporation, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC), the Inuvialuit Game Council, Parks Canada, and the Government of Northwest Territories. I advised Paulatuuq, facilitated the negotiations, and was one of the drafters of the Agreement.

We concluded the Tuktut Nogait Agreement in 1996 and Tuktut Nogait was formally established as a national park in 1998. Looking back now, the wisdom of Paulatuuq’s initiative is reflected in the fact that Tuktut Nogait now represents the only major caribou calving grounds in the Canadian north that is permanently protected in legislation.

I’m an independent lawyer (recently retired), professional mediator, facilitator, and planner.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT TUKTUT NOGAIT?

It’s all about decision-making and how we collectively determine our future. Can we truly share decision-making in Canada’s national parks and other protected areas? In agreeing to make decisions affecting these areas by the Indigenous tradition of consensus, might we contribute to reconciliation?

From the outset of the Tuktut Nogait negotiations, Paulatuuq was adamant about establishing a new relationship with the Government of Canada. Paulatuuq wanted what it called a “partnership”, but Government of Canada lawyers would not accept that word. Things went back and forth repeatedly, and Paulatuuq grew impatient with the Government. Paulatuuq asked me to work out something with the Government’s senior negotiators and report back. If we could find nothing acceptable, Paulatuuq would pursue a national wildlife area rather than a national park to protect the herd and its calving grounds. Three of us sat down. The government repeated its concerns with the concept of partnership.

I realized that the traditional Inuvialuit way of making decisions—consensus decision-making— might be the solution to our impasse. I had learned consensus from Billy Day, the Inuvialuk Elder I had first worked for in the ISR. Inuvialuit and the Governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories came to agree to make management decisions in Tuktut Nogait through the age-old Indigenous process of consensus. In consensus decision-making, we slow the conversation down. It’s like music with a slower cadence. We let mutual respect guide us. We create a space for reflection rather than reaction. We encourage everyone to speak. We listen and make every effort to weave participants’ different perspectives together into one consistent whole. We don’t trade the Indigenous perspective off against traditional “government” perspectives.

The consensus can emerge when we step back from the hardened positions we bring to the table and reflect on our underlying collective objectives. There are no narrow motions, no countermotions and no votes per the usual method of “Robert’s Rules of Order”. In consensus, a neutral chair facilitates the discussion, ensures that all have an opportunity to speak, and that the discussion is respectful, safe, and fair to all. The facilitator intervenes when there appears to be a consensus, suggests the emerging consensus, and leaves all substantial decisions with the other participants in the discussion. Decisions

can be made very efficiently, and arguably endure longer. Relationships are created and strengthened.

Consensus is about deciding things together, not just advising a “government” department. We work on the many layers of hearing, understanding, respecting and collaborating with each other. We come from such different cultures, backgrounds and perspectives, all of which can contribute if we allow them to co-exist.

MOVING ALONG THE NEGOTIATIONS

We had to work further on the Tuktut Nogait Agreement. Paulatuuq considered the concept that parks Canada would “consult” different Paulatuuq community organizations and make the final, government decisions. Paulatuuq was familiar with the belief that “government” must have the final say and control the outcome. Paulatuuq rejected this consultation model.

At the end of the day, the negotiated Tuktut Nogait Agreement is an alliance between Inuvialuit and the Governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories. Inuvialuit and the Government of Canada jointly appoint the members of the Tuktut Nogait Management Board (one on the advice of the GNWT). The Chair, who must remain impartial, is jointly appointed by Inuvialuit and the Minister responsible for national parks. The Minister retains the decision-making powers established in the legislation, and Inuvialuit retain their IFA rights, including the right to harvest and establish harvesting camps in the park.

The Minister responsible for national parks must send a Superintendent to Board meetings so that final dayto-day management decisions can be made at Board meetings, respectfully and efficiently. All parties agree to exercise their respective powers and make decisions affecting the national park by consensus. The Management Board is merely the place where Inuvialuit authorities and Parks Canada agree to give a consensus a chance. But, in the 23 years (since 1998) that Inuvialuit and Parks Canada have been jointly managing this national park, the Board has never failed to come to a consensus on the park issues before it.

Later, in 2005, the Government of Canada negotiated an agreement with the Déline Land Corporation—now the Déline Gótine Government (DGG)—to extend the national park south into the Sahtu Settlement Area.

Consensus is about deciding things together, not just advising a “government” department. We work on the many layers of hearing, understanding, respecting, and collaborating with each other.

” In 2005, the Board conferred its Exemplary Service Award on Peter Green. Photo submitted by Tom Nesbitt.

This extension encompasses the entire watershed of the Hornaday River, strengthening the protection of the park’s ecological integrity as a whole. The 2005 agreement also authorizes the DGG to appoint a member to the Management Board, while renewing historic friendships between Paulatuuq and Déline.

I still remember the Management Board’s trip down to Déline, for the signing of the 2005 agreement. John Max (Muffa) Kudlak gave a very moving speech to Déline, thanking that community for helping protect the Hornaday River system—so important to Paulatuuq. Alfred Taniton, one of the Elders of Déline, stood and commended the young Paulatuuq Dancers for their initiative and exemplary drum dancing.

Tuktut Nogait is a different sort of national park with a different sort of management board. Park management has evolved over the years into a relationship primarily between the Indigenous authorities and Parks Canada. This park presents different challenges, particularly because it is different. Others are sometimes inclined to see and understand the Board and the role of the Indigenous parties using the traditional “consultation” model. I’d suggest seeing an alliance between the Indigenous authorities and the Government of Canada based on consensus decision-making. It’s hard work to uphold and implement the Tuktut Nogait Agreement, but people are generally well-intentioned and good to work with. We can learn something from each other in almost every meeting—if our eyes and minds are open.

We normally meet in Paulatuuq or Inuuvik, but also meet yearly on the land. This is important because we listen to and learn from the profound stillness of the land.

THE ROLE OF ELDERS

The Elders can teach us, often quietly and by example, if we are willing to hear and see what they are saying and not saying. Billy Day, my first teacher in the ISR, illustrated for me what consensus is and how it is carried out. I worked for Billy as COPE’s land use planning coordinator. I remember watching him run an Inuuvik Community Corporation meeting in 1986. I was both fascinated by and uncertain about what he was doing. He went quietly and respectfully around the room, giving each person a real opportunity to contribute, and helping the Community Corporation discuss issues and form its consensus. It was a totally different way of running a meeting and

“ Negotiating on the Arctic Tern at the Johnny Green Bay Whaling Camp, mid 1990s. Photo by Ron Seale.

making collective decisions! There was almost no direction from Billy. The consensus emerges, in its own time, from the discussion.

Several of our past and present Board members are now Elders in their own right: John Max (Muffa) Kudlak, Noel Green, Peter Green, Ruben Green, Ray Ruben, Fred Bennett, Ellen Lee, Bill Ruben Sr., Lawrence Ruben and Gordon Norberg. We never cease to learn—and to be surprised—by the many perspectives that come to Tuktut Nogait Board meetings.

THE ROLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY

We negotiated this national park roughly 25 years ago. Representatives of Paulatuuq and I were all 25 years younger than we now are. At the time, the Paulatuuq

negotiators had already negotiated the IFA and they had a strong understanding of the roles they wanted to play in the management of the calving grounds and the park.

By the same token, 25 years have now passed. Another younger generation of Inuvialuit, willing to take over in the management of the national park, has not yet stepped forward. Luckily, we now have Lanita Thrasher on the Board and Tracey Wolki in the Paulatuuq office. We’ve tried for many years, using different means, to involve younger people in the management of this park. They’ve told us that they need to strengthen their relationship with the land before being able to say what roles they want to play in park planning, operation, and management.

We respect that and want to give them the time and opportunities they need to connect with the land. So, we hold cultural camps on the land every couple of years, primarily for younger Inuvialuit to connect with the land, their Elders, and their culture. We remain open to the involvement of younger Inuvialuit as they are comfortable determining it.

Inuvialuit and the Governments of Canada and the NWT negotiated the Tuktut Agreement in 1996. We did this in the context of the amendment of the Canadian Constitution in 1982 and the settlement of the IFA in 1984. Since that time, there has been growing recognition of Indigenous rights in Canada, and of the value of consensus decision-making with Indigenous authorities. 1996 is now a long time ago. The recognition of the proper role of Indigenous authorities in establishing and managing national parks, also designated as “Indigenous Conservation and Protected Areas”, has grown in Canada since 1996. I now wonder whether the Tuktut Nogait Agreement should be updated to broaden and more clearly recognize the consensus decision-making process in this national park, the alliance between the Indigenous parties and the Government of Canada, and the role of the Indigenous parties, particularly Inuvialuit, in managing the park and protecting the calving grounds.

I’ve been privileged to be involved in this national park since the first discussion of the concept of protecting the calving grounds in 1986. Why am I still involved? Good people to work with; people of integrity, always conjoined with a sense of humour; the importance of protecting the land, the caribou, the culture and Aboriginal rights; and the need to uphold the land claim agreements and the consensus-based decision-making process set out in the Tuktut Nogait Agreement.

It’s hard work to uphold and implement the Tuktut Nogait Agreement, but people are generally well-intentioned and good to work with. We can learn something from each other in almost every meeting—if our eyes and minds are open.

Edward was pretty traditional. He moved around quite a bit from Tuktuuyaqtuuq, coming this way towards Cape Perry, and Cape Perry to Paulatuuq. We then moved to Cambridge Bay at one point. He worked back then at the DEW Lines and as a janitor for quite a few years in Cape Perry. He was well respected then; he worked really hard.

I guess when they moved to the community of Paulatuuq, that’s when it all started to kick off—homes were being built. This was gonna be our home because of all the animals: the fish and the geese and the caribou. So, they made Paulatuuq home. Years went on. He continued working in the community. I don’t know how he got into politics—maybe his brothers, or himself—but he had a huge impact on the community. Being my dad, he must have seen something for the community—how he could bring up the community, or how to move forward or build.

At the time I never really heard much because I was so busy at school here. It was sometimes hard to interact with him. Yeah, he’d always tell us things, but

it was always just the basics: make sure you get up in the morning, work hard, go to school, get your education. Basically, that’s what I grew up with. I knew he was travelling for meetings, and it’s just like: “Wow! Where’s Dad off to today? Uh, I don’t know.” All I can say is that I was happy he was there in the parks negotiations.

Like any other son-father relationship, you grew up with your dad and he’s taught you a million things—especially the way you live and how to take care of yourself. He’s been a really good advocate for the community and has done so much work with the park, Park leaders, other community leaders. There was a lot of hard work, back and forth, discussions with my dad and Parks. Without our Elders back in the day, we wouldn’t have this here, today.

He’s 100% Inuvialuk—he knew the language and how to use it, which made them really powerful, ah? I’m so happy that, before he left, he used his voice, his Inuvialuktun words, his knowledge, his love for the community, and his love for the people… I’ve seen it.

I want the world to know that Edward was a respected Elder from the community from Paulatuuq. An Inuvialuk Beneficiary travelling around to make a living! Walking on the land. Providing for us—his kids. Working hard. Respecting the land, the waters, and everything that it provides today.

Edward’s words were well-thought-out. He would keep them right, short, to the point. He’d always tell us: watch yourselves, work hard, respect. If Edward was still here today, he’d probably say, like any other Elders: ensure that park is there for another 100 years.

Words by Chris Ruben. "Being a part of Parks Canada has set it in place for us to learn and move forward. I would like to say a huge, big thank you to all the leaders that did this for us. We were able to move forward with all their help, towards the current realities of what’s going on now. Our community can be limited, but it doesn’t mean we’re gonna stop there. We’re gonna keep going."

I’m so happy that, before he left, he used his voice, his Inuvialuktun words, his knowledge, his love for the community, and his love for the people.

Chris Ruben

For years and years, I have been hearing from our leaders before me: why the park was established in the first place. A lot of hard work from them, with Parks Canada, going back and forth. We need community members behind Parks Canada to ensure future generations can have and keep this harvesting right. We’ve heard so much great things about this park, but in the long run, we’re trying to keep it for our calves—for our tuktut

Around ten years ago, I was in the park for a ten-day hike to Char Lake with two of my local friends; both were working in the park. Man, that was my first time. We were going to different areas in the park looking for old tent rings, old camping grounds, where they made blinds for caribou… that was pretty cool to see. Everything around it was just amazing.

The thing that impressed me was just the land features and the rivers. I remember when we came across some caribou antlers on the side of the hill. It looked like it was from somebody, probably the earlier years before my time. Just looking at them, you knew that they had always been harvesting, and it looked pretty neat to see! Other than that, the land formations, the lakes, the fish, the caribou… oh my goodness! Just unbelievable up there.

When I first went up Char Lake, it was just beautiful, pristine waters. It’s just untouched, ah? I mean, that’s the beauty of it: it’s just untouched. No one’s around. No buildings, roads, houses… it’s amazing, just to be a part of it. You feel like you’re ingrained somehow in the land you grew up with. And when you actually go up there, you’re in awe: “Wow! How come I haven’t been up here before,

As an Inuvialuk Beneficiary from Paulatuuq, I feel Tuktut Nogait is part of our land where we are established. My role, as a Beneficiary, is to ensure the longevity of our calving caribou in the park.

when I was a teenager, or when I was a young kid?” To have something like Tuktut Nogait in your community? Oh, my goodness.

When I go out on the land, there are certain areas I’ve been and known all my life. And, when you actually get back there—wow. You feel like you’re back in 1980 again, because you’ve gone there, and it brings you back. It’s pretty strong. Anyways, I felt that being there in the park. It’s hard to put into words because it’s just so perfect, untouched.

When I go back to certain areas on the land, which I’ve seen as a kid, it’s like… wow! It just sparks something in you, ah? Like, holy cow. It just gives you a million percent of rejuvenation for your body. I think it just gives you that extra push. When you’ve been there, you’ve known what was going on there then. And today, you see it, and it brings back some really good memories, for sure. That’s how I feel, even when I go back to my spring traditional camp. It’s a part of you, ah? It doesn’t leave you.

I NEVER EXPECTED WE’D HAVE A PARK.

But, seeing my dad Edward Ruben and the other leaders in the community gathering was like: “Wow, they’re talking about something here!” I think that it’s so important that we have this park because it lets the world know what we’re doing here in the community and what it’s for. To me, it has so much to offer yet, but we’re trying to control, keep it for the tuktut.

I’m almost lost for words because it just means too much to me. It’s a beautiful Park. And I’m really happy that we have a Park in the community; it just goes to show that we’re traditional. We’re trying to keep that history moving forward, you know? There’s so much yet I think we could do with our beautiful park.

We’ve had so many different groups that have wanted to come to the community and do this and that. I’d love to have these people come and experience the park, but it’s really hard to move forward in that regard because I’ve heard from our current leaders that it’s only there for that reason preserving tuktut calving grounds and respectfully so—we can’t destroy something that’s feeding us yearly.

However, all the way, I’ve seen so many awesome visitors over the years. Before COVID-19, we had so many beautiful visitors from all over and wanting to visit. I don’t

mind that, as long as they don’t go beyond to try to destroy it! But for outsiders, I don’t have a problem with that, because that’s something everyone should see. The Park gets people in the community, which I love. It puts a smile on my face when I see people from out-of-town smiling, and you hear good things about the park. All I could say is that it’s there for a reason, and hopefully, it continues.

I’d love to see more visitors! I know COVID-19 is terrible in the world right now, but I’d love for more people to come and see our park, just for the fact that it’s there for our caribou. It means so much. We can’t lose our caribou there. That’s our natural resource and livelihood. It would be nice, too, if we could continue to expand it, cover more land. Then it would keep development out and keep that natural state forever. It’s too beautiful.

25 YEARS OF TUKTUT NOGAIT

All I could say is—wow. It’s been 25 years already? I can remember when they first opened the park, and the Paulatuuq Centre building. I’m just happy it’s there. We’re continuing to keep it for our caribou.

The thing about it too: it brings us back in time when we see land, tent rings, caribou blinds. Wow! It just shows us the history of the park, and who’s been there before us. That’s the question. I love to see and hear all of those beautiful stories coming from locals, the parks workers, the parks Management Board. It’s the locals—without them, it wouldn’t have been there. It wouldn’t have a meaning. What it stands for… ensuring the tuktut for my grandkids, you know? It’s pretty beautiful.

The growth of the community is one of the things I’ve seen in the last 25 years. If we’re not establishing the park even more for business at least we should do something for the community. Like employment, more opportunities, getting more of our Inuvialuit youth involved. If we’re reaching out to the entire community and the youth, then it gives us more of a chance to continue employment and working with the community… Get more people educated, get more community locals educated.

To me, it’s growth and more opportunities. I love that Tuktut Nogait is a Park and I’m happy that it’s 25 years, but we need to feed off of it and get all the positives from the occasion. It’s gold. It’s diamonds. It can’t be touched. It’s too important. Without this park—goodness—our caribou, our livelihoods, our traditional lifestyle… it’s all gone if we don’t have this kind of protection.

ADVICE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

Get educated, come to work, and don’t be lazy. Share, as well—it’s just beautiful. Have that motivation every day to want to go to the park, want to work with people, want to ensure for tomorrow, you know? I’d love our park to grow in the community—more employees, and more chances for locals to get jobs and open it up. The greater opportunities for the community, the greater the chance to go to different Parks and be a part of their history.

THE PARK SETS AN EXAMPLE FOR US ALL

The example we’re setting in the park should also reflect in the community. There’s a conversation there has to be between the two: it’s a lasting relationship. If we’re not improving here in the park, we should be doing this locally in the community. With more opportunities, it’s not only giving the park, but it’s giving the community more say and more educational programs. We don’t do a lot in the park today.

You know, the park gives us something to look back on. It’s so beautiful, it’s so untouched. I’m not gonna use the word “wish” because to me it’s like a fairytale. But, it’s an example of how I hope the rest of our community can also be like. We know it’s there for that reason. Because it’s so beautiful, it should be incorporated into the community. It’s so clean. If they have that respect for that park, hey—you definitely should have that respect for the community. It’s almost like we’re in the park, too, ah? When someone tells you to pick up your soda can on the road… our caribou are walking on that! Are you happy with that?

To me, Tuktut Nogait is an example of how we should be protecting something that we’re walking on, or living with. So, I hope and pray that my generation, this current generation (the kids) can have the opportunity to say: “Hey, we made mistakes in the past. We’re here to fix them. We’ve seen it.” To continue to have the park for another 25, 50, 100 years, you know? When I’m gone, if I see it the way it is today, it’s gonna make me smile.

The park gives us a really good example of how to respect, work hard for something you believe in. Don’t ever give up on it. Like I said: Hope for another hundred, thousand years!

When I go out on the land, there are certain areas I’ve been and known all my life. When you actually get back there, you feel like you’re back in 1980 again.

‘ Chris Ruben and Herb Nakimayak at Char Lake, 2003-04. Photo submitted by Parks Canada.

A million words, I could say! But I’m gonna use the word pristine because it means so much to me, everything in it. The water, the land, animals. I don’t know how else to explain it.

—Chris Ruben

Ask people in Paulatuuq to describe Frances Wolki, and certain words surface repeatedly: strong, determined, passionate, outgoing, friendly and caring. Six years after her passing, the effect she had on her family, her friends, and her community still resonate.

Frances loved being on the land; she travelled and worked throughout the Paulatuuq area with her husband Bill. They travelled to different camps as Bill led sport hunting trips. Being a strong, resourceful woman, Frances did not shy away from hard work. She would skin, flush, and clean the skins of any animal harvested, including the whale she harpooned on a summer whaling trip. In 1999, Frances became a big game outfitter and guide in her own right, and conducted hunts for nanuq (Polar Bear), aktlaq (Grizzly Bear), and umingmak (muskox).

Today, her children carry on her love for the land. Her son Bill Jr. is an active hunter. In the spring of 2021, her daughter Brianna harvested her very first swan and goose.

Frances Wolki

Friends of Frances also remember the everlasting impact she had on them. Many fondly recall jam nights they shared, her singing, and her beautiful voice. Some still treasure items handmade or repaired by Frances, including a pair of moccasins and a wolverine parka. Others recall her positive and encouraging attitude, her laughter, and her ‘go-getter’ attitude.

The community of Paulatuuq benefited from Frances’ strong voice. Be it housing, health, suicide prevention, environmental monitoring, education, or any other topic close to her heart, she would not shy away from making her opinions known. Her voice was her tool to making the community a safer and healthier place.

Tuktut Nogait remembers Frances Wolki as a passionate advocate of the land, the park, her culture, and conservation. She was the park’s first female bear monitor and spent many hours in the park learning, sharing and protecting the land she loved.

‘ Frances Wolki and Jonah Nakimayak at Tuktut Nogait National Park, 2014. Photo by Robert H. Rainbird. Used with permission of Natural Resources Canada.

Words by Stephanie Yuill, Tuktut Nogait Park Manager

Brianna Wolki

I am one of the Public Outreach Education Officers for TNNP. I help plan and implement outreach programs, such as school presentations and outreach booths, to educate the community about what Parks Canada does throughout the summer season. One of the programs we hold every two years is our Culture Camp within the park at Uyarsivik Lake, where we host fun and educational activities that integrate traditional knowledge and skills. uu

My fondest memory in the park is teaching our youth how to fillet fish at the 2021 Culture Camp. It was some of the participants’ first time catching a fish. The excitement on their faces was memorable. My dad taught me how to fillet a fish when I was younger, and I still follow his technique precisely today.

The coolest thing I have seen in the park was the Bald Eagle that came to visit us a couple of times. Stephanie, the current TNNP Manager, mentioned that they are not common in our park. Another thing that caught my eye was all of the pretty flowers that I learned the names of.

Although we did not have the opportunity to fly out to La Roncière Falls, this location in the park is my favourite. On our way back to Paulatuuq, the pilots brought us sightseeing over the Falls. I caught a short glimpse of the waterfall on camera. It looked amazing!

calving grounds within the park. The Park protects both the caribou and fish, which are vital food sources we rely on as part of our traditional diet. Our ancestors were resourceful and resilient in everything they did to survive and pass down their cultural heritage to the next generation. They left their footprints behind and we cherish every footprint with pride. Within the park, there is evidence of old campsites and rock caches. Each cultural site tells a story. These untouched sites help us to form a picture of those who came before us and how they once lived in the area. These findings also help to define who we are and where we come from.

INTO THE FUTURE

The

establishment

of the park

brings a sense of security knowing a part of our Inuvialuit Lands are protected. It also brings a sense of equality knowing we as Inuvialuit have a voice and equal rights in the management of the park as does the Government of Canada. Having the opportunity to listen to and relive the stories of our ancestors through our Cultural Hosts’ storytelling made Tuktut Nogait meaningful. I have a passion for learning about where I come from. I enjoy listening to stories, especially those told by our Elders which instills moral and cultural values. I also got to immerse myself with nature and reconnect with the traditional way of life I was raised with.

Tuktut Nogait National Park is special because the Tuktut Nogait Agreement protects the Bluenose-West caribou herd and their

If the rate of COVID-19 lowers across Canada, I would like to see Parks Canada spreading awareness of our park nationally to attract visitors from out of the territory to paddle the pristine Hornaday River. I would also suggest that parks Canada hold a Culture Camp annually, which would allow more residents to experience this opportunity. I would also suggest that the TNNP Management Board include a stopover at La Roncière Falls for each Culture Camp trip. This would enhance everyone’s experience and increase the park’s popularity.

I would also like to see shower heads installed in the shower stall and the water pump system built into the kitchen cabin. This would make cooking, cleaning and personal hygiene more convenient. More things I would like to see in the park are deep freezers to preserve our meats and being allowed a pet dog(s) in the park. This would save having to waste food that thaws too quick and fish from spoiling in the sun.

TUKTUT NURRAIT TANMAAQTARVIKTIGUN

UQALIAQSAQ NAITTUARAALUK

TUKTUT NOGAIT IN ONE WORD

Sumit takuvit?

Whatdoyousee? Everyone will have their own unique experience and view of the park that will stand out for them.

—Brianna Wolki

Ruben Green

Back in 1999, I got on the Tuktut Nogait Management Board after my late brother Nelson Green, who was on the original Board , passed on. I was lucky to be able to sit down as a Board Member as the very first Vice-Chair of Tuktut Nogait Management Board.

Back then, we had gone down to the Haida Gwaii and Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, and they presented me with a plaque for being a board member from 1999-2002.

Tuktut Nogait is really, really special. Number one: it’s co-managed. The Park itself has a structural aspect of col-

laborative management (co-management) that initially started from the Gwaii Haanas. You have six organizations to the park: Paulatuuq Community Corporation, Paulatuuq Hunters and Trappers Association, the Inuvialuit Game Council, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation

(IRC), GNWT, and also Canada. This collaborative management is essential to have within the park because the park itself is on Inuvialuit lands. It’s essential that people get to know about Tuktut Nogait National Park.

The Park itself is vast. The terrain, the rolling hills, the creeks, the lakes… You have One Island, Siulik Lake, Fish Lake, Long Lake, Uyarsivik Lake. One of my fondest things is to be able to say: “Oh, here’s ELM Hill, here’s Peregrine Hill, here’s Long Lake.” You don’t get much tourists in because it’s way out of the way. And that’s fine with me!

I have many favourite locations in the park! We hunted in Siulik Lake and One Island, Fish Lake, Seven Island, Brock River, Hornaday River… there’s so many places that I have known within the park. As an Inuvialuk hunter, you know, you don’t only go one place, you go many places, ah?

Probably also Ugly Creek, Brock River canyons, the plateau of Brock River. I like the ruggedness, the “cowboy” scenery of it. When I sit with the park and the Brock River, I can be mesmerized sitting in one place for a whole hour and watching the sun go by on the side of the canyons and then as the sun moves, different shadows form. It just really captivates you and you won’t say a word for one solid hour. You drink your tea, coffee, have your lunch, and you’ll be sitting right there, catching all the scenery; the peregrine falcons that come by and you hear them screaming. There’s so much. You can hear the Brock River slowly flowing. It just really mesmerizes you.

La Roncière Falls—it’s about 70 feet high. It’s noisy. It has rock plateaus where you can land with a chopper, just the smoothest table. It also has a big flat rock, hard shelf rock, off to the southern side where it comes down. There’s even tracks embedded on the rocks, ah? Don’t ask me how old they are! It’s just one of those places that mesmerizes you.

FONDEST MEMORIES

Noel Green, Tony Green, Nelson Green, my dad, and I hunted in the park before it was a Park up in One Island, Seven Island Lake… so we kinda knew what we were dealing with on the land. So much things within the park, we knew before it was a Park because we hunted within there. These are keepers: being able to hunt before with your dad and your brothers, and then it becomes a national park! I just had my dad and brothers there, and you learn a lot of things coming from a family like mine.

When I sit with the park and the Brock River, I can be mesmerized sitting in one place for a whole hour and watching the sun go by on the side of the canyons.

The first Culture Camp within the park was also one of the highlights, being able to hunt and cook in the park. Going out with Jonah and Muffa Kudlak as Cultural Hosts, being able to expand on what Parks Canada already knows. We pick up little things on the land. When you’re good at things, you get into the zone and pick things up. To be able to see what’s up there—not too many people will see the things that I’ve seen. I’ve always said that I’m one of the luckier persons to have been able to hunt in the park before it was a Park and to know these types of terrains and creeks.

THE TUKTUT NOGAIT AGREEMENT

Tuktut Nogait means everything to Inuvialuit. To me as an Inuvialuk, the park means that we’ll have caribou that’s being protected within the park. The Park means a lot personally. Thinking of fond memories before and after the park, I was so lucky to be able to have brothers, family, and friends, who negotiated the Tuktut Nogait Agreement (TNA) and also brothers who negotiated the IFA. It means a whole lot to me to be able to get the firsthand aspects of it and that’s special. It’s just one of those things that hits you when you start to think about it. They negotiated the park while I was implementing what they negotiated and that’s two different levels of how you look at the TNA.

It’s good that the Tuktut Nogait Agreement (TNA) entails following up on the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. The IFA was the mainstay of the TNA, so it didn’t take away any of our rights to be able to travel and hunt within the park. That’s paramount to be able to do things like pass on Traditional Knowledge. Not only that—we also help along with the parks staff that go up there. We give them orientations. When we hike, I’ve got two sections: one that’s the scenic route and one that’s the all-business route!

It’s essential that people get to know the IFA, which played a major role in terms of what the TNA achieved. Under the IFA, it entails that we as Inuvialuit upkeep our hunting traditions within the National Park. It’s just one of those things that was well-thought-out. The negotiators themselves had better leeway as to how to go about negotiating the park. Since they negotiated the IFA, it’s just one of the things that made it much easier, ah?

LOOKING FORWARD

I can foresee the ongoing cultural camps, the ongoing sessions collaborations with Parks Canada and Inuvialuit. The essential aspects of our culture just keep on going. To be able to harvest the caribou, the Arctic char, landlock char, and lake trout… underneath the TNA and the IFA entails that we don’t lose that aspect of traditional hunting within the park. It’s essential that we keep that going, especially with our kids and grandkids. You know, I have 11, 12 grandchildren… so it’s essential that they all know what TNNP is all about! They have to know the history of it, how these negotiators came by. You had people that were knowledgeable about what section of the lands needed to be within the proposed national park at the time. They knew exactly what the heck they were talking about! Exactly knew where caribou went to calve. Exactly knew the seasons or when to be able to go char fishing. They were able to go with the seasons; they knew when to harvest, whether it was the iqalukpik or the tuktu.

I’ve always stated: they don’t make people like that anymore. You know what I’m saying? They don’t make people that have ‘special knowledges’. I don’t even come close to my dad and my dad’s parents, and many other Elders.

My grandmother (my dad’s mom) was born in 1875! She passed on in 1975, so you know when they talk about Canada being 150 years old? Well, just from my grandmother, my dad, to me…we’re spanning almost 150 years! So, we come close to Canada, just from my grandma to me. My dad’s dad was even older!

They don’t make that kinda people anymore—the ones that lived off the land, had 15-17 kids, and grew them up. In our family, we had 16. My parents never knew how to write, but they grew us up. You can’t take away what they knew and how they grew up 16 of us. That in itself… they don’t make people like that anymore—special people. Never gave up, never complained.

With the ongoing co-management with the parks personnel and the Inuvialuit, we want them to keep on working together and that’s essential. I mean, whether you have the scientific aspect of it up there or the Traditional Knowledge aspect of it, you need to be able to work together. As one of the negotiators had said: “Remember, you need these two to get together. To collaborate together. To laugh together!” And people forget that, to be able to laugh and talk together. So, as the park keeps on going, we need to upkeep what we started—what they started. Work as one. Work as a team. Don’t be bossy.

Jonah Nakimayak

He was born in the Nunavut area; came from Coppermine, Kugluktuk. He came on the dog team and he met my grandmother Helen and started having kids. He said he started going back home; he was on his way back to Kugluktuk then he turned back in Paulatuuq to come stay with his girlfriend, my grandmother. And I’m glad he did, it’s a nice place. It’s a beautiful country. I think that’s why he stayed here, man, he loves the country and all this food, there’s a lot of animals. Mostly food, ah?

Hi, my name is Shayne and I’m here to speak about my late grandfather Jonah, my adopted father.

One of my fondest memories was with the late Jonah Nakimiyak. Jonah and I used to go to One Island Lake and we were fishing before it was a park. When we got back as Cultural Hosts after the park was initiated in ’97, we were fishing with quads in October. Jonah Nakimiyak and Tony Green (my older brother)—we had driven up from here in Paulatuuq—we made it up to a portion of One Island Lake in the northern section of Tuktut Nogait. We went into this creek with the quads and it was so ugly, meaning that we had ice coverage going down the wrong way… ice shelves! So Jonah, Tony, and I called it Ugly Creek. And it’s been called Ugly Creek right since then!

—Ruben Green

He was my uncle, and he was always hunting, walking, energetic, fishing. He was a real person that negotiates for the people. He respects the land. He was a real role model to young hunters and taught them how to hunt and go out on the land. He was a real mentor. He was very inspirational to our park and he was also a cultural host; everybody really enjoyed the kind of things he did on the land. We named the “Jonah Nakimiyak Camp”, so that’s his camp now. I imagine he’d be really happy if he was with us now. He’d really want to see more come out of it and keep protecting the caribou.

—Bill Kudlak

His oldest is my sister Alice Thrasher. I think Johnny, Herb, Emma, Rachel and me. I’m the youngest of them all. Two of us are adopted. Rachel and I were adopted from our biological mother. He had two brothers: Moses Agnauyak and Norman Kudlak. They also came from Kugluktuk; I guess coming from Kugluktuk, they passed through what is now known as the park. The Park wasn’t situated back then. I’m pretty sure they travelled through there, going through it.

Jonah is well-known. He knows that country real well—like reading a book! He can go anywhere with anything. He’ll never get lost. He never did get lost. I think he’s self-taught, eh? He learned a lot around this country from other Elders. And he was liked pretty well by the hunters and travellers around here. It’s probably how he got to know most of the country. My other grandfather—there’s always one lake, he tells me. I think it’s Seven-Island Lakes he’s always at that’s in the park. He’s been around that area long before the park was created.

I can’t really tell much what he seen, but he was a big part of the Tuktut Nogait crew for the last maybe 20 years. He’s always been out on every trip with the park manager, or whoever he can to take out. He’s been a big part of Parks Canada crew guiding, maybe a lot of guiding he did out there. But he sure loved the company over here.

Most of his stories were all about hiking and fishing. He said the hiking is always fun; it never gets wet. He was with Ruben Green most of the time. Most of all, all the caches he seen, something about the Thule Inuit. But there’s all the caches along the river he says, like further up the river. Something we might not have expected, but by seeing that we know there’s thousand years before us, ah?

25 YEARS OF TUKTUT NOGAIT

If Jonah was here today for Tuktut Nogait’s 25th anniversary, he would have loved the occasion for sure. He would’ve talked about it the whole day! Yeah, 25 years—we have come a long way. I was a young kid back then—8 years old I was when that park was made.

I remember they brought me to the gathering; I believe that was in front of the church. It was in ‘96 I believe, my grandparents brought me there and I could remember hearing bagpipes playing. That was a cool thing to see.

MY RELATIONSHIP WITH JONAH

Jonah always had stuff to do out on that Land. He didn’t really tell me much, he would mostly tell me what he caught or hunted—mostly caribou. He never really says much about the trails or what he seen. We're always out camping and always have to be with him because I was learning, and he needed the help. I was a young boy and I started hunting with him. Think I was 9 or 10. As I got older, he started trusting me enough to go hunt myself as a teenager. Then I started to have kids and we started to kind of grow apart.

Yeah, after that, we came back. We came back together and started living life together out on the Land. We’d camp at Thrasher Lake in the spring and travel all over during the fall time for caribou. That's where I know most of that trail. It's nice to be around him when you’re out on the Land; you're always laughing, always smiling. He's always got a joke, or, when you're having a hard time, he’ll try and make you smile. He will. Never does push me hard or never did. He just told me to take it slow, and sure enough, I think I learned a lot from him. He was a great teacher, my best friend, but most of all—the best teacher I ever had.

Marlene Wolki

We also brought kids out to the park there with the Management Board, where I took minutes and participated in what was done at the park. Boy, we used to laugh a lot at Tuktut Nogait! At night, I’d try to keep them busy. We used to play the game “Donkey in the Tent”. We used to have so much fun with them! Me, anyway—it’s like I was a little kid myself.

At the interpretive centre, kids can be themselves and ask questions; they like to come and play. So that’s how come we did storytelling. It gives them the opportunity to tell their own stories. Today, you gotta be really engaging with them—with puppets, with clothing… if you tell a story, you gotta try to make it come alive, you know? You gotta be colourful.

It was new to the kids because some had never been out to Tuktut Nogait, whereas we were always travelling in and out of the land. Showing them pictures, videos, and just talking to them about the park—some were interested and learning. I don’t just talk to the kids—I get them to interact, to be part of the story. A lot of them learn in different ways, so you have to be really open and engaging, especially for kids that are quiet and shy. For those who get to go to the park, they will go out, think, and come back.

I used to work in Admin Support here at Parks, doing office work and outreach with students here at the Interpretive Centre.

While working, I ended up making a story myself! It just came. Elder Liz Kuptana was here, and she was telling stories. And then, out of nowhere, my brain just started going! It’s just how I came up with the name, How the Loon, Moon, and Wolf Came to Be. I used Inuvialuktun names like mine in that story—Mamayauk from my great grandmother—and my husband Hank’s Inuvialuktun name, Nihiryuak.

Storytelling—it’s what we grew up with, what we saw, and what we lived through. Being in an area like Tuktut Nogait really gets your mind going.

Anaanak would say, when someone comes in, “Aaqana. Come in.” If it’s an Elder, you ask them: “Would you like to sit down?” Once they sit down, they automatically tell stories.

When you listen to Elders, during my time, they were so full of stories. When they talk in Inuvialuktun, even though I don’t understand what they’re saying, but the expression of their face, and when people laugh… just the expression of their faces. If somebody’s talking and everybody’s listening, that means they really mean something about what could have happened in the park, compared to an area. When you look at the park, the Elders before us travelled all over. Whenever they get together, it’s always about travel. Stories about here and there, where they all travel. If you brought Hank here, he would have told you all about the places that they travelled.

Storytelling—it’s what we grew up with, what we saw, and what we lived through. Being in an area like Tuktut Nogait really gets your mind going.

We have such a beautiful land out in the park. It’s nice and big and you can go everywhere—all over. The part that I liked best was Uyarsivik because it’s a nice area where you can fish, go to the canyons, and go to the big lake. There’s so many areas just in that one spot. It’s such a big, wide area. It’s just so beautiful. I’m sure that hiking would be the best because you’re telling stories as you walk, or you find a good place and sit down. Especially with kids, keeping them engaged.

Every person that I meet that works with Parks Canada, their outlook is so engaging—so willing to hear stories and explore. And that’s how we learn. You pick up both from talking and experiencing, and the experience is not the same unless you’re out at the park. You could really talk to visitors. As soon as you’re talking to somebody who’s wondering about the park, when you share your story, you get them excited and engaged. They wanna come! It all starts from the people at the frontlines, positions like the one I was, and now Tracey is, sitting in.

Food is another engaging thing: “I wanna eat there!” Even including food, when they come to the place, next

thing they want to try char, they want to try caribou meat. Food adds to the experience.

We want to make sure that when people go in and out, travel out there, hunting, fishing—that we keep our park pristine. When you leave, you leave it the way it was. That’s how we were brought up by our Elders long ago. They say: “If you take care of the land, the land is gonna take care of you.” And I always kept that with me.

That’s how come I’m really happy that we have Tuktut Nurrait—and not only within the park but the surrounding areas of the park. We have such a beautiful land. No wonder our Elders, when they were travelling all over, we used to hear stories about how it’s so beautiful out there. I’m just so happy that they camped and then ended up staying there back then, to where we are today.

One word that stuck to me is: pristine. The park is pristine. My one thing is for our caretakers today—keep it pristine.

You never know sometimes. If one day they say: “Oh, we can’t have Parks Canada anymore. There’s no money…” Whatever happens—hopefully, it’s not just gonna be a story, but it’s gonna live on, and on, and on, and on.

Even when we answered the phone when I worked here back then: aaqana!

One time, working at Parks Canada. I remember I used to have to answer the phone: “Hello, bonjour!” And then somebody on the other end: “Hey, hey, hey… where’s our Inuvialuktun greeting?” Peter Green! He told me. And I said: “Oh! Aaqana, Peter!” And he said, “That’s better.”

You gotta make sure that you put that Inuvialuktun one first before the English. I think we have to think of the Elders, first. Aaqana, Hello, Bonjour!

Aaqana. Welcome. Anaanak, Liz Kuptana,

always uses it.

When you say that to somebody, they feel welcomed, and then all of a sudden that’s where the conversation starts going.

—Marlene Wolki

Bill Kudlak

All of our park is regulated. We’re one of the few of the parks—maybe even the only one—that has a calving ground area. It’s really important that our calving grounds for caribou are protected for generations and generations to come.

It started with a few people—a few of the Elders. Our community had so little amenities, so they sat, working with Parks, something in the end like a community development plan, which we have and still exists. It still needs to be updated periodically. We try to use that framework to guide our park and to co-manage with our Boards in a good manner that is sensible and manageable.

The Elders, they’re all my relatives. Some of them are my uncles. They fought really hard to get the final negotiation using our land claim—Inuvialuit Final Agreement because that’s a big thing, the IFA. We all use the same caribou, the same herd, they go to the same calving grounds. With the extension of the Sahtu, a representative from the Deliné was added to the Board.

The best memory of the Board was going to the park—a really nice place. I’ve been there twice for Management Board meetings. Uyarsivik Lake, it’s called. Just the scenery! The wildlife, the birds… lots of rocks. There’s even some soapstone up there, that’s similar to alabaster found

I was a formal Board Member appointed by PCC back in 2014 and 2015; I was on the Board for two years. It was really interesting and important for the community and the park. I learned a lot from being on the Board and going to the meetings.

in Ulukhaqtuuq. I’m one of the artists in Paulatuuq; I myself, I’m a carver. I always use the antler. That’s why the caribou is really important to me. One year I brought some jewelry to the park, just to keep busy, sand it. It was cool to bring something to do when it was nice out. But I never did go to Artists in the park. I don’t mind going one of these days!

DIFFERENT KINDS OF TUKTU

Perry Caribou are from Sachs and Victoria Island. They’re a smaller caribou but they’re really tasty. They still come close to us. One year, my brother was out bear hunting and he saw three or four things coming to him; he thought they were bears! But when they got closer, they were caribou.

Our Bluenose-East and West are a lot bigger, ‘cause the Perry Caribous are really small. You could notice it.

25 years ago, it was a real big day, I remember! A lot of people came in. A lot of people wanted our park established. Now that it’s established, I think that we should keep setting up programs and meetings there. The first year we were there we had barely any heat and camp in little dome tents.

In the past 25 years, the caribou route and the migrations to the calving ground have changed. It’s always been different areas every year, and they go by different routes. It’s because of the wolf population; we are overabundant with wolves. Wolves are a major predator to caribou. One of the reasons why we have such a low population of caribous is from other predators and predatory animals. They know when the caribou is coming, they follow them, and it’s been the cycle for hundreds and thousands of years. And that’s why we protect our TNNP.

One year we had a pilot from Calgary to see if it’s feasible to have a runway in the future. They landed and checked it, but we have restrictions here we have to follow. There’s some big boulders to move if they wanted to continue. So, they stopped it because it was so close to our wildlife—Arctic char, caribou and geese—right by the river, where they wanted to do the runway.

Another year we had a scientist who was doing a “green up” program using satellite imagery to check our vegetation, the soil, what the caribou are eating. They even have pictures of when the “green up” starts, way back from satellite imagery, and they compare it nowadays with the current state of the land and our vegetation. They were trying to determine what the caribou’s diet is, in the vegetation program. It was a really big program.

There is also water monitoring on the Hornaday River. They do a lot of sampling to see how our water is… There might be different fish, crustaceans, and small stuff they detect during the water sampling.

One year we had over 180,000 Bluenose-West, this was 30-40 years ago maybe. They have the data and numbers. And now it’s like 20,000. It has declined but we only have so much tags each year, and we have to follow our HTC and ENR rules, must have all the proper tags with you when getting the caribou.

PROTECTING THE HERD

We have to make sure we always have our caribou migrating to where they always go. Have people on the ground. Another Elder, Peter Green, wanted people on the ground to count the caribous. We don’t always have the right numbers all the time and we don’t like getting our caribous tagged with collars. It’s a really sensitive topic for our community and our Elders. The Elders say that they’d like to see people counting on foot which is a more sensible thing than invasive methods like collars. I know it’s the only system right now, but we have to deal with it. We have no choice but to use the collars to get an accurate count.

We hunt and live with the caribou, and we continue to watch our herd. Sometimes we can’t because we’re in real bad area for our caribou in terms of numbers. I’m always concerned about how do we know our caribous’ declining, and what can we do? That’s a really tough question. We have to find solutions. We have so many predators. We should start with the little things like seeing how much wolves are out there, do more with incentives for wolf hunting. Like we’re overpopulated with wolves and grizzlies. We should start to do something to manage it because that’s a major reason why we’re losing numbers in our herds—Bluenose-West, Bluenose-East, and the Dolphin Union caribou. The hard thing is the predatory animals—something has to be done soon, put in writing, ‘cause we’re only gonna keep losing caribou. Pretty soon our caribou will be a delicacy! It already seems like a delicacy; we hardly get them. Very few people share it, that’s why it’s a big issue, the caribou.

It’s a really tough question to think about how our caribou populations have declined, and how can we sit down with other organizations like ENR, Game Council, Canadian Wildlife Service, IRC, and other Hunters and Trappers groups, to find solutions and see why our caribou are declining. It has to be done fast. It’s just unreal how we can lose so much caribou. I know we used to have 180,000—that’s unreal. One day they might be extinct because we’re not doing anything in terms of the predatory animals that live off the caribou.

But, this year, our caribou seem like they’re coming closer. They came in earlier to our land. It used to be only in around June or July, but we seen them in April, which is like how it was in the early 70s. So, we’re getting some kind of… animals coming back and to their natural habitat, the seasons, and the month that they usually should come in. This year, it’s been a real natural year for them, and a good season for them.

We just have to leave them alone. Like there’s so many studies, so many counting… leave them alone and our Elders know—a lot of knowledge. If you leave them alone, they will be populous again.

How I see it is to keep protecting our National Park for the caribou calving ground. Have monitors check all the wolves to determine how they follow the caribou. One year they had a wolf denning program close to the bottom of the Sahtu extension of the park. That sounds like a good project—to see where the wolves are denning.

And, to have more access to the park. There’s so many things we can do in the park with keeping environmental impacts low. You know, overall, I see a good future for our park. There’s so many summer camping trips going on now. You have Board Meetings up there. They check our waterways where the Hornaday River is, where they sample it. There’s a lot of things yet to do in our park. It’s just how the community wants to manage it and keep it protected. That’s the number one thing—and low environmental impact.

Stay educated. Keep in close contact with our Elders. Our HTC and PCC Board— those are the two that uphold our community. Continue to be guardians of our park.

Craig Ruben

I was a summer student back in the early 2000s. I went on hiking trips, and the last I remember was canoeing the Hornaday River.

The crazy part was when we had to stop paddling to watch a herd of caribou pass the river to get to the other side, and an aktlaq (Grizzly Bear) was following. A calf got left behind and we all thought that was it for it because the bear was reaching the other side of the river… But the bear looked at it, left it, and ran for a bigger prize. That was like watching National Geographic!

Climbing a cliff and looking down the river was also amazing, but the one thing I thought was pretty cool was when I was canoeing and a bird landed in front of the qayaq and rode with me a couple of kilometres, and I just went along with it! It acted like it was my pet and that was pretty amazing.

My favourite location has to be the La Roncière Falls. It's a beautiful scene—none like I've ever seen before. It is loud, but when you’re there, the noise cancels out, and you’re just in awe. Sit there and relax. That's the location I suggest for everyone to go see.

The 25 years is an amazing accomplishment for our community. It’s crazy that we still have

so much to learn about the park on what we could do out there. I know that there are a lot of species waiting to be discovered, and possibly fossils as well.

Tuktut Nogait means a lot to our Elders. They fought hard for our land, our culture of what they learned growing up, the stories of the long journey of travelling, and what they used the animals for—clothing, tools, and other accessories. They wanted to protect our caribou and other animals, so they wanted to create a park where there would be little to no hunting so that every animal and species could populate for our future generations.

As soon as the virus is gone, I would like for future generations to take part in Parks. Jobs or just volunteering—to see what a huge land it is. I would like to see tourists come out and explore the land, falls, animals, rivers, cliffs, as well as camp. I would also like to see Elders telling stories for them to re-create how our people lived out in the land where no one ever thought we could survive.

I would like for the next generations to keep working with Parks, expanding not only into the NWT region but also worldwide. It would be great for them to bring in more tourists, Elders, and anyone who would like to experience all the endless possibilities that are just waiting to be explored in Tuktut Nogait.

When I canoed through the river, it was like paradise. The water was clear and the sun was shining. It was peaceful and quiet.

ž A younger Craig Ruben paddling the Hornaday River on July 04, 2004. Photo submitted by Parks Canada.

I would like for the next generations to keep working with Parks, expanding not only into the NWT region but also worldwide.

Sadie Lester

In the early 90s, we were students learning to be guides in the park. We went up for a hiking trip and a canoe trip. Later on, I went up as a cook for the Management Board.

You know, me, I was really lucky with the Board—being a cook, staying in camp… I told them I didn’t only go up to be a cook. I wanna go hiking and do things, too! They were really good about that. They let me go hiking with them and I got to see the country up there.

The last time we went up, we were at the lake; halfway in between that lake is Nunavut! We canoed across. We fried our fish up outside, and it was so awesome to be in

the lake, half of it is Nunavut and half it is NWT. It was that year Joe Robert went up for bear monitoring; Donna came as a cook’s helper, and I went up as a head cook. And it was a learning experience because all of those board members had different diets, and you gotta cook different meals for them. But it was a good experience; in our community, we don’t have all these different people with special diets, so you gotta be careful of what you cook.

TUKTUT NURRAIT TANMAAQTARVIKTIGUN UQALIAQSAQ NAITTUARAALUK

TUKTUT NOGAIT IN ONE WORD

The only word I could think of is mamaqtuq, so delicious! It's just the beauty. It’s just unreal. You have so much things you can see up there.

beauty of the land and the preservation of the caribou, because the caribou always migrate, and they have their babies up there, too. Just the beauty of the country we own.

My favourite location has gotta be the Falls, it’s so beautiful. I love everything about the park but the highlight was being able to stand right beside the Roncière Falls. We were beside the falls, but we didn’t know there was a way down where you actually could stand beside them. It was just—the cliffs, or the hill, was a little way down and we didn’t know that if we went by a certain way we could actually go right down by the falls.

It does look like cowboy country—it’s straight flat rock this way, cuts straight up, straight flat again beside the Falls. When you look this way, it looks like canyons from a cowboy movie. And you look this way, there’s only one spot in the park, beside the Falls there’s rough rocks. In one part, it’s like somebody took sandpaper and just smoothed all the rocks out. It’s just unreal! That’s the first thing I thought of was “cowboy movie” with them canyons.

I never did see live wolverine in my life, so much caribou, them peregrine falcons, bears, wolves… Lots! It’s unreal to watch wildlife. Even that bear we saw. Caribous from far away gathered, but the bear never bothered, it probably wasn’t hungry. Boy, they scattered from miles far away from that bear.

The Park is named after our caribou—the migrating of the caribou, the calves, the younger calves. It’s about trying to preserve the caribou, especially the land. Because you need to have respect and keep it clean, and it’s just the beauty, the peacefulness… just like, there’s so much to explore every day.

You know, a lot of people live here in Paulatuuq all their life and they never ever get the opportunity to go up, see the country we live in. I’d like to have more trips, especially in the summer, for people in the community to go up and enjoy the beauty. Visitors get to learn the respect—you know, not to dirty the park. You know not to even fiddle with and leave anything behind there.

I like the worker we have up here now for Parks (Stephanie Yuill) because she always has scavenger hunts daily, or every second day, to get everybody involved! It would be nice if they could push for more trips up there for the people. My one wish ever since I got sick… I never ever went back to the park, but my one wish is to go back up there, just to be like a tourist and enjoy the beauty, enjoy travelling the different places.

The park is special because of the

Donna Ruben

In 2000, I was told about the ecotourism that was gonna happen in the park, so I put my name down. I was chosen, and there were four of us ladies that went out into the park in 2001 for a ten-day hike.

There was me, Sadie Lester, Tina Anikina, and Brenda Ruben. It was the four of us who did the hike. The experience was really something else. I would have never thought of hiking for that long, but my experience was so amazing—the scenery, the animals, the plants. The company was really great.

My fondest memory is when we made it to our destination, and we saw home—we all didn’t think we would make it! It was our first time ever experiencing this hike. And when we saw home, it was like: “Oh my god, we did it!” We all just cried with joy, and we were all telling each other we wouldn’t make it. Like, it was so nice. It was one of the greatest experiences I ever had. Just being there with the people who went made it worthwhile—everybody's warm hearts. We were all there for each other; if somebody got hurt, we would all just be there for each other like a big support group.

My favourite location in the park would be La Roncière Falls—that was the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. Back then I wish I had a camera or a phone, but we didn’t. When I first saw it, I was speechless. I never thought our community would have such beautiful land like that. It was so beautiful—just the falls, the water. Everything was just so nice. Great experience.

” Sadie Lester (left), Laura Cabot (center), and me, Donna Ruben (right), on a Tuktut Nogait hiking trip in 2001. The experience was really something else. I would have never thought of hiking for that long, but my experience was so amazing—the scenery, the animals, the plants. The company was really great!

One cool thing about it was seeing wolverines, ‘cause I’d never seen wolverines up close before. I wish to see them in pictures, but to see them live was very nice. The scenery, the animals, the plants, and everything was just so amazing. I can still think it was just yesterday when we got back from our trip, and it was just so beautiful.

The one thing when we were out in the park when we did our hike is—we didn’t have protection, like a gun. All we had was bear bangers and bear spray, and we saw a lot of bears! It’s a good thing nothing came to us. That was the most scariest experience for me because we have a lot of bears here. But we all survived and were all here today. [laughs]

After we did the ten-day hike—maybe two weeks later—we were supposed to do a ten-day canoe trip. We tried. We did 2 days and the weather just got awful, so we had to go home. That was a good experience too, canoeing the river. But the weather played a big part and cancelled everything.

I went there last year; I was the cook. We went to Horton Lake—the big lake where the Nunavut and the NWT borders meet. That was really cool. It was huge, I was like: “I wanna go in between the border!” So, we went on the lake and here we are—Nunavut and NWT. That was so awesome. We got to go fishing; we canoed across the lake to the Nunavut area and took some pictures. It was really nice.

I enjoyed cooking on the trip. I don’t mind it but it was challenging to cook for people who have dietary restrictions and, we don’t have what they need in our store. It was my first experiencing how to cook for vegetarians and people with diabetes. I sure learned a lot about cooking I never knew much about, like the health part of it. Especially from the vegetarians and the diabetics. I know now if I applied through Parks for cooking, this is what I have to do, what I have to make. It was a good experience; I liked it and got to know the people very well. I would love to go there again one day; I’d love to go out and cook again. The park’s 25th anniversary makes me feel old!

[laughs] I love occasions like this; it’s so good for our community. I wish people could come out from other communities to come and see it, rather than just in pictures. That would be a great experience for anybody—everybody.

In the past 25 years, I don’t think anything’s changed because it’s a special place. What you saw then is what you see now. It’s so clean; the land is untouched by quads or snowmobiles. That’s how I see it. Respect it—it’s a respected area. You can’t just go there with a quad or a skidoo because we're not allowed to. If we do, we’re gonna destroy our land. It’s a place you can’t just go there and hunt. We all respect it. That’s how I see it.

It can be hard to get out there. You need to come to the park to see if there’s room on the charter to go. I know there’s meetings and stuff, but it would be great to take people out there just to see it, like our Elders and our young generations. I would love for them to go see what we’ve seen.

I wish more people can go out and see it, like how I’ve seen it. I know there’s a handful of people in town that went, but I think more people need to see it—to see what I’ve seen through my eyes. So beautiful.

It’s really exciting ‘cause Brianna Wolki and the Tuktut Nogait staff are doing a culture camp, so some of the kids are gonna go see what you’ve seen through your eyes. My son Ethan has been out there a couple of times and he loves it. He’s gonna go on again this year and he gets excited every year because he knows there’s this trip up to the park. I wish more kids were interested like him!

Our kids now—some of them don’t go out camping. Most of them stay in town. It’s important because to go out there and learn our culture is something that most of the kids don’t see or don’t like.

I know my son will be in my spot many years down the road and he’ll talk about the park like how I’m talking about it—in his own words—and he’s gonna say the experience is something else. To me, it’s like going down south or to an island somewhere south; it’s a totally different world when I step in the park.

THE FUTURE OF THE PARK

I haven’t been to other parks but what makes Tuktut Nogait so special is the scenery, the canyons, and everything—it’s just so beautiful. To me, the park means our culture, our way of living. The Elders pretty much taught us everything we know already, and the Elders were the backbone of us today. To me, the park is a special sanctuary that can’t regularly be touched by anyone else but us. It’s so amazing.

I think the future of the park is gonna be big. In my eyes, it’s gonna be a big thing. The way I see it—our young generations are going to be taking people out there to show how beautiful our park is. That’s what I see. My advice for the younger generation is: be who you are. If you wanna go out on the land, do it. Any chance you get, go out to the park, then you’ll see what we’ve seen. It’s so awesome; I can’t wait to see this magazine all done.

Tuktut Nogait is a beautiful place. You have to come and see it for yourself. Seeing pictures is totally different from seeing the park in person—totally different. I would love for people to come and see; that would be so awesome. Come and visit; come to the parks office and get things set up. Have locals take you out—that would be so awesome. Local tourism would be deadly; I would love to see more local tourism and taking people out. I want to see our community grow.

TUKTUT NURRAIT TANMAAQTARVIKTIGUN UQALIAQSAQ NAITTUARAALUK TNNP IN ONE WORD

I think it's respect, because that land is untouchable, and everyone should respect it.

Mark Ruben Jr.

My name is Mark Ruben Jr. and I have worked as a patrol person at Tuktut Nogait. I’m happy to see the park reach its 25th year; one of the major accomplishments to me is being able to see visitors from the States since the park opened! My favourite location at the park would have to be the Brock River canyons as well as La Roncière Falls. My fondest memory at the park was when we spent Canada

Day in the park one year—that was fun! Tuktut Nogait is important because it means that the land will not be destroyed by mining and other work in the park, which is good for the caribou. When it comes to what I’d like to see happen in the park in the future, I would say: nothing— leave it alone for the caribou calving grounds. That would also be my advice for the next generation, which is to not change anything and keep the park the way it is.

Lanita Thrasher

I am a board member with the Tuktut Nogait National Park representing the GNWT in our board and as a whole; we are a cooperative management board. Also, I've made some interesting and memorable trips to Tuktut Nogait National Park that were very educational.

My fondest memory in the park was canoeing across Hornaday Lake that took all afternoon in a catamaran. On the way to the East end of Hornaday Lake, I caught a huge lake trout that took a long time to catch. It is my fondest memory because I spent two weeks in Uyarksivik trying to catch a huge fish, people caught monsters there as well.

I got to see so many beautiful sights. On a canoe trip, I saw the beaches along the Hornaday River that stretch for most of the two-week trip and the water was turquoise from the sand. I was also looking at a 500-year-old caribou blind, and right next to this blind were fresh caribou tracks. My favourite location in the park is the stretch of sandy beaches on the Hornaday River, it was incredibly beautiful in the morning with a coffee.

Tuktut Nogait is special because it helps provide us with caribou to eat and also gives us so many reseach insights. There is the Sahtu Extension in the park, and it is very beautiful as well.

The Park means security to me because it gives a blanket to the fragile caribou population, and we are now considered in the yellow level and out of the red for the Bluenose-West population. For our culture, it definitely plays a huge role in keeping our culture rich because of the caribou, without caribou we would be lost because it's the best food in the world.

We can now look at a quarter of a century worth of our own data regarding the caribou numbers which was the main reason the park was established, for the young caribou. 25 years ago, we had the opening celebrations to TNNP, and it feels like it was not too long ago that our park has been made for the caribou.

Ageing nicely, some fossils were found there that were considered at the time of discovery that they were the world’s oldest fungus nearly a billion years ago. One major local accomplishment is also the establishment of the Marine Protected Area to the west of Paulatuuq. It is very important to protect ecosystems where species we rely on for subsistence make a home or migrate.

came together to negotiate and educate community members about the benefits of such a protected area for our tuktut years before it was established.

In the very beginning, community members were concerned about the possible disturbances on which the fragile caribou species population relies for growth, grazing, migrating, and where the caribou give birth. Volunteers

We can honour those Elders who negotiated Tuktut Nogait National Park by remembering them and recalling their stories of the process and any stories that they shared about a long time ago or lessons that we can use today. I think they would be very proud of the park today because it helps give us a whole new perspective of our land that we share with the caribou. Last year I saw a herd of caribou and I counted 20 nurrait (calves), and I think the Elders would feel the difference they've made by making a park.

It is very important to protect ecosystems where species we rely on for subsistence make a home or migrate.

In the future I would like to see more studies done on the caribou population regarding its connection to the geese. In the mid-1900s the caribou population as many Elders remember was high, and at the same time geese were not very populated. Now, all over the north, the caribou population is much lower, and the geese population is overpopulated. Geese and caribou share at least 5 of the same species of plant for their diet on Banks Island, and a half a century of overpopulation and its impact on vegetation on the tundra has to play a role in the change of plant food for caribou. In the future, I hope that we can learn more about the land regarding permafrost, invasive species, and the impacts climate change has.

ADVICE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

Find opportunities to see our beautiful land. Speaking of opportunities, don't give up on your dreams and work hard for what you want in life. Always remember where you come from and never forget your culture. Learn as much as you can about your culture because it is very interesting. Learn about your rights and the past negotiations about the IFA and Tuktut Nogait.

When I go out on the land, there are certain areas I’ve been and known all my life. When you actually get back there, you feel like you’re back in 1980 again.

TUKTUT NURRAIT TANMAAQTARVIKTIGUN UQALIAQSAQ NAITTUARAALUK

TUKTUT NOGAIT IN ONE WORD

Kaapi. Don't forget coffee .

Ray Ruben Sr.

Other National Parks are geared towards visitation but Tuktut Nogait is established especially for the protection of the caribou habitat, calving grounds, and the caribou itself. That’s why I like how they negotiated this one; it’s unique in the way that they set up the Tuktut Nogait Agreement. It’s the first in Canada, as far as I understand. It’s under a co-management setup involving representatives from various groups and government agencies. We work under a consensus management system where, during our meetings, if there are any concerns

about developments, programs or activities within the park, we can veto. Once that happens, what we bring it back to our respective organizations in a roundabout way through discussions—liaison back and forth. That’s the good thing about it—we’re open. Nobody is left out of any decision. Our Chair, during our decision process, would go around to each one of us and ask: “Are you okay? And are you okay?” Once he goes around the table, it’s by consensus, it’s agreed. And that makes it unique.

I represent the Paulatuuq Community Corporation (PCC) on the Management Board. The first time I was appointed, it was in 2016 and runs a three-year term; I was reappointed by the PCC for my second term in 2019.

We’re not bound by any government agency; we’re not bound by Parks. It’s us as a Management Board that decides, and we get a lot of our feelings, decisions, and thoughts from the community through the representatives we have. The Park agencies or the staff are a part of the programs, but they don’t run it.

THE LIFELINE OF TUKTUT NOGAIT

For me, it’s around the river system. It’s pretty much the only place I’ve gone in personally. This time of year, after the melt we don’t usually go up there, not like our parents and grandparents—they’d be walking up! The Hornaday River is the lifeline of that park. All the creeks and everything that runs down through it feed into the river. If the park didn’t have the river, it would have been less of an attraction or beauty.

When people come up for canoeing, we tell them we don’t want any contamination. When they talk about bathing, washing, and shampooing, we tell them you gotta do it away—no inflow into any of the river systems. It means a lot, those rivers. The Hornaday, especially. It doesn’t only give beauty to the park itself, but it sustains us with char, whitefish, and graylings along the river. That’s the most attractive in my mind about the park—it provides so much.

You talk about the canyons, the falls, and all the fish, and then all along the river you got these raptors (eagles, hawks, and even ravens) nesting around in the canyons and riversides. It’s like the Southern states where they got all these plateaus and high, flat hills. There’s a lot of ravines, up and down, and rough ground; if you don’t know the right trails this time of year it’s hard to travel.

The first time I went to Tuktut Nogait—the only time I went up—I’d mentioned to the Board that I didn’t feel comfortable there; I let them know right away that it’s like I was invading somebody else’s space. It’s the caribou’s place, not ours. I didn’t feel 100% comfortable.

The beauty is something, just like any of our coastal camps and regions. What really hits you is just how beautiful—how nice—the lakes, the hills and tundra are. No wonder when people go into Parks, they want to come back. They remember it so well. And that’s the thing we try to do—I want it to remain that way so that for anybody who has a chance to go, it’s what we’ve seen 20 years ago, 30 years ago and is not changed.

The Hornaday River is the lifeline of that park. All the creeks and everything that runs down through it feed into the river.

If the park didn’t have the river, it would have been less of an attraction or beauty.

STORYBOOK COME TO LIFE

I go back to the first meeting, and I’ll never forget. We had our little tents to sleep in, all spread out. The second last day we were up there, I was reaching the end of a book where it was telling the story of this village. They have an angatkuq, a shaman or medicine man. And they were starving. They were telling that medicine man: “You have to do something; you have to find a way to get food to our people.” He said he went out walking or did something and caribou walked right to the people—like offering itself, you know? They got caribou.

That same day, we were in the kitchen camp just finishing up, and I saw something behind our sleeping tents. “Hey, there’s a caribou!” By that time around August all the caribou should have been migrating South, ah? And I saw that caribou! I told Robert, our monitor (only he had a gun), and it kept coming. One caribou. So, I asked our chairman: “Hey, is there anything in our rules that say I can’t get the caribou?”

And he said, “There’s nothing; you’re Inuvialuk. As long as you can get a gun.”

“Okay!” I talked to Joe. I went to that tent with my gun. I had to hide because that caribou kept coming, and just like that—boom. I read this just hours before! It came right up.

In there, if we harvest something, we’re supposed to teach the parks staff. I told them while I was skinning it up and cutting it up (they were there watching and taking pictures and all). Once in a while, I stopped to show them: “Hey, I took the skin, the stomach fat, and everything—as much as I could take out.”

There was only four of us in the camp then; everyone else had gone out canoeing and hiking. I told them: “Don’t say nothing to the guys when they come back!” And I hung that stomach fat, right where they had fish. Some of them said nothing, never see it; I think it was Sadie Lester who finally said: “Who got caribou?!”

On top of that, what made it even more special was: the next morning when we were loading and getting ready, right on top behind us—a bull, big horns, walking by the top of the hill! It stayed for maybe 45 minutes, taking its time. I thought: “Boy! Last night I got a small caribou!” But you never forget that. It offered itself to us. It was amazing. I told them the story of how I read that book and how that caribou came by right after.

THE FUTURE OF TUKTUT NOGAIT

Some talk of using different areas because the park is so huge, but my priority is not to see any more manmade developments: runways, ports, lakeside houses, or anything like that. If we’re able to maintain the way it is, with as little imprint and visual additions as we can, and just leave it all for the wildlife, that would be my preference. I like the way it’s set up now with just the one camp so that if visitors (and especially our youth and Elders) have the opportunity to go out, they have a safe camp that provides for them all around in that one place.

Priorities could change with the young people; they might want more people to come up here. Who knows? They might put on big mansions or whatever it is to attract people… but our priority now—and I think I am speaking pretty much for our other local representatives—is we’d like it to be as pristine as we can.

Noel and I keep talking about mentoring young people, so that they continue the minds of the community, and not be influenced by others outside. We stay strong. That place is for the caribou first, and we want to keep it that way. I’m not saying that it’s gonna be that way all the time—people’s priorities are going to change sometime— but right now, we depend on caribou and that’s part of us. We gotta pass on that value to the next people so that they can keep fighting the pressures that keep getting put on us.

The southern mentality is that: Parks are everybody’s, Parks are for people. It’s not a right, it’s a privilege that they can visit any Park in Canada. I want to keep saying it’s unique because it was there developed for the protection of the calving grounds, the environment, and the caribou.

What we always try to do is remind ourselves: why are we here? What created us? That park—we’re here because we created that for the protection of the caribou. I want to see that continue: the protection of the habitat, the caribou, the calving, and the young caribou. That’s what I want to pass on by mentoring the young people properly. The way things are going, the young people are losing that one-on-one connection with the caribou and the environment. More and more, we’re seeing it. Anyone not in direct contact with the wildlife and on the land loses that part of the connection. We always say we are one with the caribou.

TUKTUT NURRAIT TANMAAQTARVIKTIGUN UQALIAQSAQ NAITTUARAALUK

TUKTUT NOGAIT IN ONE WORD

Piqpagiyapkin. Ilove you . That feeling with the caribou, you have in you. That’s the feeling I have for that.

If I was to say one Inuvialuktun word, it would be how you love that little caribou.

—Ray Ruben Sr.

Rose Kirby

Well-photographed and tourist-visited, Parks Canada has engaged Elders and members of the community to assist in learning about plants and other important issues surrounding the Falls. Who were the Inuit who may have lived in the area? How do you find out? uu

TUKTUT NURRAIT NATIONAL PARK, LA RONCIÈRE FALLS

JOSEPH SARAANA THRASHER WITH GEOLOGISTS ROSS MACKAY AND KEITH FRASER, JULY 1951

This story is from Iriaruk/Nirliq/Tuuqłak Rose Thrasher/Kirby, who was at the time 7 years old. She and her immediate family and extended families were living at Fish Camp for the summer. Men were able to hunt for caribou upland and ducks, fish at the Kuuk (river) and seals from the ocean, men would walk up the hills to try to get caribou. If they travelled, they had to walk miles up the hills to hunt and used dogs and men to haul the meat, skins back. Caribou skins were so important for clothing in the summer/fall, their fur was short and good for clothing, it would soon get cold, and the fur would start to get thicker for parkas, pants and maklak (kammak). The ugyuk skin was being dried for maklak, your threads were made from caribou sinew. There were so many of us children, dried fish generally finished quickly.

It was the summer we heard a plane land in Paulatuuq. Every adult was wondering why the plane went to Paulatuuq, which made us children worry. My granddad and some other men decided to walk to Paulatuuq, our

only means of travel in the summers. On their return ataatak An'ngik said, "Two men arrived on the plane; they were looking for someone who could speak English to hire." Joseph Thrasher’s name was given to them, and they wish to hire him. We all walked to Paulatuuq to spend the summer there while Dad was working with the two geologists.

Two very important events were happening that summer and fall of 1951. My dad Joseph got his first job; he was told that they plan on walking to La Roncière Falls, look at Brock Canyons, walk the country, and return to Paulatuuq. They also told my dad they would like to hire his dogs. Dad explained to mom what they were going to do: name plants, rocks, animals, fish, ducks, birds, and study land. The day arrived when they started their trek. My dad was packing goods. Dad’s three dogs were packing their tent/ poles, caribou skins for mattresses and other goods they needed for the trek. We all said our “see you laters” and farewells.

I watched my dad, so handsome, dressed with waterproof knee-high maklak made from seal skin, which my mother sewed. He had an atiktluk on, his hood up because of the mosquitoes. Ross and Keith had a fishnet, hats, and gumboots. Off they went—three men and three dogs.

The days went by slowly, but we had many adventures looking at what was at the beach; we would find jellyfish and picked up the odd driftwood for when it got cool.

We'd go to Father Dehurtevant's (Umiligaaluk’s) house and ask: “How long would my dad be gone?” He would tell us, “In days.”

The other event we waited to happen was the coming of the “Our Lady of Lourdes” mission boat to pick up school kids to go to school in Aktlarvik. This was not a happy event. The only good thing about it was they brought coal for the mission and some food to sell to Inuit; our little store was on the porch of Father D's house.

Finally, Father D told us my dad would be here any day. We searched the east until we saw them coming, what a happy event. Everyone shook hands with Dad and his companions. I was overjoyed. My dad was home, and he was talking about the beauty of the land, the falls, how high it was, and I could only imagine the scenery as he spoke.

Dad asked if the Lady of Lourdes came, who we saw, and who went to school in Aktlarvik. He was always interested in learning; he had completed grade 8, the highest level they offered in Aktlarvik school.

The following day, they were already planning their trip to the west. They talked at Father D's house, and Ross told Father D when the plane would be at Paulatuuq to pick them up. The following day my dad was leaving again. I watched with a heavy heart as they began their journey to the west; they had planned to walk to the Horton River and check Vilhjlámur Stefánsson’s cache. I had no interest; I only wanted my dad home.

Ataatak and all the families were planning on moving to Tasiryuk for the fall and on to Langton Bay after freeze-up, and we were told we could catch up with them at Tasiryuk. They all started the trek—men, women, teens, dogs and children walking, all belongings were carried, it looked like a long procession walking around the Darnley Bay.

We saw where they were camping. It was getting dark at night, which made us scared of grizzlies, but we had some watchdogs loose, and when they barked, we knew something was out there.

I watched mom shed a few tears, but she quickly got busy sewing for the coming fall. Andy and I would pick up a few driftwoods for heat.

“ Mom, Mabel Kanrarana, sitting in the back of a sled holding Qusilruna (Alice Thrasher) and me (sitting in the front seat). Mom supported Dad by sewing all of his clothes; without her, we would not have clothing, bedding, and things to stay warm.

I watched my dad, so handsome, dressed with waterproof knee-high maklak (kammak) made from seal skin, which my mother sewed.

“ I miss my cousin Sarah whom I had spent the spring and summer with, visiting Ross and Keith.

We heard the plane the next day. We could see Dad and his companions coming from the West. The name of the pilot was Ernie Buffett, as Dad told us. Dad’s companions rushed to pack, and whatever they could not take they gave my dad. A radio was given to him, which gave Dad great joy, but it meant very little to us. He was paid for him and his dogs, and they left. We had packing to do; Father D drove Rodger the boat to bring us to Argo Bay and to catch up with relatives at Tasiryuk. Oh joy, to be with relatives.

So many years have passed when Dad talked about the beauty of the falls and canyons. My dad gave a vivid verbal picture of La Roncière Falls as he described them. Only the past few years Parks has given our Elders the opportunity to see and appreciate the beauty Joseph Thrasher had witnessed at the falls and canyons.

AUTHOR'S NOTE — Many more stories like this one will be found in my book, Kunuuksayukka, which will be published shortly.

—Rose Kirby

So many years have passed when Dad talked about the beauty of the falls and canyons. My dad gave a vivid verbal picture of La Roncière Falls as he described them.

Herbert Nakimayak

I started at Tuktut Nogait as a patrolman in the 2001/2002 season before moving on to work in other national parks (Revelstoke and Glacier NP, Yoho NP, Banff NP, and Kootenay NP).

What is now known as Tuktut Nogait was ingrained in my family long before I was born. My dad Jonah Nakimayak and his parents used the land as they travelled from Kugluktuk to Paulatuuq by dog team. Jonah was also a cultural host with his buddy Ruben Green; they were an amazing team that made sure everyone felt safe and educated on the history of TNNP's significance to the community!

My fondest memory in the park is definitely hiking with former patrolman Eugene Green, Chris Ruben from Paulatuuq, and other parks Canada employees. We paddled down the upper Hornaday River doing raptor surveys and saw thousands of caribous up close as they migrate past our campsites.

I remember when a warden from Banff came, and I guided him on a 10-day hiking tour identifying lakes and plateaus for an aircraft landing site. I was responsible for the camping gear, and he was responsible for the food. We had trail mix every day, so we mixed it up with fishing. He forgot to bring toilet paper and asked me if I had any! I thought for a second and said no when I actually had one roll—but I knew that it would last me only 10 days. By the end of the trip, all his pockets were torn off and socks shortened; even his long sleeve shirt was a t-shirt by the end. On our last day just before the plane came to get us, he had to go, so he was looking for something to wipe with. I gave him my last bit of toilet paper and he looked at me funny. We had a good laugh after the seriousness calmed down!

The views of the "A" section make the Brock River one of my favourite places, as the scenery is absolutely amazing! La Roncière Falls is breathtaking; the narrow section of the upper Hornaday is one cool place! The fishing is amazing in any lake that you go to. It could be a major food source for the community in the future.

There are too many cool things that I've come across, but the eight-foot-high wall of marble that stretches a few kilometres is a sign that it is rich in minerals. There are also a large number of old village sites that are thousands of years old, including food caches and blinds made to hunt caribou as they migrate.

at home as people like my dad, Nelson Green, Tony Green, Peter Green, Albert Ruben Sr., Ray Ruben, John Max Kudlak and others talked about how they wanted to ensure that Traditional Knowledge was part of Tuktut Nogait’s development. This, to me, was most interesting growing up—trying to picture what they were talking about. Today I fully understand, and it has inspired me to work for the best interests of our people.

Edward Ruben, Billy Ruben, Garret Ruben, Sam Green, my granny Mary Evik Ruben, Bertha Ruben, Nora Ruben, Joe and Annie Illasiak, and Norman Kudlak were some of the important Elders who were involved in the creation of Tuktut Nogait. I'm sure they are beaming with pride as they are the ones that made our hometown. They would want to see more programming for youth and Elders in the park and the community. Tuktut Nogait is such a unique place and they wanted to protect the Bluenose caribou for future generations.

I see the 25 years of Tuktut Nogait as an example of strong negotiators from Paulatuuq achieving a dream of protecting our land, and most of all continuing our way of life for generations to come. I'm proud to say that my father Jonah Nakimayak would be proud of how far we've come in co-management and the opportunities that Tuktut Nogait has given the community of Paulatuuq. We have an office in the community and locals are working

I remember, as a youth, sitting around the table

hard work from the negotiating table to

and getting the education they need to work at the park. This gives Paulatuuq youth an opportunity to stay and work right in their home community if they wish to.

From a work perspective, Tuktut Nogait has provided training opportunities for me, another warden, and patrolmen including: ‘heli-sling’ rescue, swift water rescue, advanced first aid, first responder training, avalanche rescue and awareness training, river canoeing (class I, II, and III waters). These have all proven to be so useful in everyday life. There is also a research station named after my father where summer camps are held for students and Elders to gather and learn about the park's history by travelling to sites that are thousands of years old. We are still learning about our history today!

To me, the hard work from the negotiating table to Tuktut Nogait today shows that our Elders had a vision that we as a younger generation must carry on to ensure that our caribou have a safe place to calve, the lakes and rivers are open to the community for harvesting, our youth are educated, and locals are hired. I think they wanted to protect our traditional way of life.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

I would like to see more of the community travel to the park for gatherings. It is important for the community to see and take ownership of Tuktut Nogait. One day, I would like to see fully staffed positions from the community. The Park is a hard place to access due to costs, but it is right in our backyard.

I think we should create more programming for youth and Elders to gather and teach our way of life. Educate and mentor youth to work at the TNNP office. Host co-management meetings in the community and have them open for youth to attend. Most of all, continue to take ownership of the good work our co-management boards already do.

My advice for the next generation: Go to school; take on mentorships when you have a chance; listen in on the co-management meetings that TNNP hosts; continue to keep our way of life. Get a job at Tuktut Nogait and it will give you opportunities to travel and work in other national parks. Most importantly, be proud of where you come from!

The

Tuktut Nogait today shows that our Elders had a vision that we as a younger generation must carry on.

ž Former Chief Park Warden Christian Bucher and Herb Nakimayak at the Hornaday River, July 2002. Below that: Herb Nakimayak with a map at Kettle Lake, July 2002.

Esther Wolki

F our years ago in 2017, I went out with Parks Canada as a participant of the Youth Culture Camp to see what kind of things they do in the park, like the ground surveying, looking at the bones, and just setting up the camp. uu

With the Elders that were up there, like Ruben Green, they were just showing us how to filet fish and tell stories, so I was able to learn a bit out there.

The Park is so far out of town, only the hunters go that far for caribou. And a lot of the kids, women, and Elders now, haven’t seen the actual area of the park, so none of them know that there’s these huge 13feet rocks that are just sticking up out of the ground! They see the canyons… When I went, I didn’t know that we had that kind of land up there, with huge rocks, and big canyons. I think that’s what most people don’t know and don’t get to see.

FAVOURITE LOCATION IN PARK

I guess it would be travelling the Hornaday River, slowly going down with canoes, we seen every part of it, just a small fraction of it, but it got us to see every…hill and canyon, bigger lakes.

There was one area (ELM Hill) that we went hiking, and it was a really, really high point. And once we got up there, we could see everywhere, like three kilometres, good detail. We seen the river, our camp, the other camp, and we could see caribou walking along the river. I guess that would be the best view to describe to everybody.

We’re so secluded up here in NWT. A lot of the area in the NWT and Nunavut is untouched. So, it’s preserved a lot. The caribou, the land where the caribou are, it’s preserved. It’s just beautiful up there and it’s way, way up North. You get all weather. In summer and springtime, it’s so beautiful and warm.

FONDEST MEMORY

Hiking—as soon as I got off the plane, the water that we landed on was so clear. It was blowing, and the sun was shining. I was like, “Can I go and try the water?” And they said, “Yeah, go ahead!” I went off the plane and tried the water, it was so fresh and nice and cool, and it looked so clear! That was like—yep, I’m way, way, way, out of town!

I know a lot of people have tried to go hiking there, but it’s only less than a handful that comes there. I would like to see more of our people get a chance to go up there. Every year—even a week at a time and have multiple age groups going out as well.

The Park to me is a safe place for our culture, our animals. It’s protected. For the Elders, it’s something to show where they lived, where they grew up. It’s like a “photograph memory” for all the kids to explore and just see what they’re talking about. It is a deep connection to where we live, how we live, and what we should thrive and live for in the future.

The Park to me is a safe place for our culture, our animals. It is a deep connection to where we live, how we live, and what we should thrive and live for in the future.

—Esther Wolki

Muffa Kudlak

I wasn’t part of the negotiating or the working group, which was established after Nelson Green passed on. They put me up there to represent the HTC and the Management Board, so I been doing that for a number of years now.

Just like any other park, Tuktut Nogait is open; there’s no obstructions. When you go over the ridge there’s always the next ridge to go over. There’s no physical

structures other than just our base camp. The wildlife, the viewing; the animals come right up to you. It’s like they know you’re not hunting them, so they come right by you.

The vastness of the land—when we were up there on that big hill on the first hike, you’re just looking around, and cause you’re so high you can see so much of the land. It's just complete space and it takes time to sink in once you get up on top of the ridge ‘cause you take your time and absorb the scenery.

The Park has three major river systems, and the scenery is beautiful: the Hornaday, the Brock River, and also the Roscoe River. They’re three different characters in themselves, and even this little miniature waterfall has its own little place in the visitor’s heart if they go to see that spot.

I

’ve been involved with Tuktut Nogait since 1999 as a board member on behalf of the HTC.

My fondest memory of the park? We had a management board meeting here and we brought the Elders from Paulatuuq to come out and see what the management board was all about. We had lunch at the Cache Lakes site, and all at once, there was about 300 caribou coming up to the group and walking by us! It was like they were checking on us, even. The women were kinda scared; they were really close to us and some of them moved away and moved away and move away—you know, trying to evade them. You don’t really see caribous acting like that just coming up to you; usually, when you’re hunting, you have to sneak up on them. But here I guess they knew—or they felt—that we weren’t gonna hunt them, we weren’t gonna bother them. So, it’s just a different feeling they had, I’d say. There’s many sites—different locations in the park— that were limited because we don’t have a landing strip, rather landing in a pond or lake. But, I love that spot where that burial site is at the Cache Lake site. I’ve mentioned that and it’s a feeling close to me. Like Keara Ruben was mentioning, “It’s good to be home again.” And I told her, “Yeah, it’s good to see your friends again.” You know, it’s sort of connection. And, that spot is perfect for someone to rest and oversee the animals going by. The waterfall, the caribous moving because they were alivewhen we were alive.

In One Island Lake and Rock River, before you reach the river system in itself, there’s a deep canyon. When you’re walking up, it has a gateway to walk over across the river to the other side. But as soon as you get closer, it disappears and it’s a cliff. It looks like an arch one can walk over without any land—it plays with your mind. That part is like an invisible staircase.

CONNECTING YOUTH AND ELDERS

The Park gives us a chance to close the gap between the youth and the Elders. In Paulatuuq, everybody is close together but there’s a gap between the Elders and the youth because they’re not really communicating with each other. They’re more independent. But out here, we’re trying to do that—making that connection to the youth and the Elders—to try to get them interested in the park and how we do things. For example, making nets, skinning the caribou, or working on filleting fish.

Most of the youth—their parents don’t have the time to bring them out on the land for harvesting, so they come up here and get hands-on experience. They practice, they learn, and once they get back to the community, or once somebody goes harvesting, they can go out with them, apply these skills and help the camp overall. The youth have a lot of energy to burn, and they’re also willing to learn, so that’s the important part for me—it's the connection.

The 25th anniversary has been a long process. Over the years it just kinda slipped by. It’s an accomplishment in itself. It’s been negotiated way back when the caribou were healthy and now the caribou population is less stable, but hopefully, it’ll get back to its original numbers.

One thing that was originally stated was that there were no structures to be built in this park. The first big accomplishment was in 2000 when—through many, many hours of consultation—we changed that to have a basecamp here now in the park—a building, the facility to commence a group.

The signing of the Tuktut Nogait Agreement has led to some benefits for the community such as the Northern store, the parks offices, and also the residences. We had this building being built to have the office space for Parks and to have a Parks employee living in the community to better help us moving forward.

We can honour Elders and Signatories by having their name in the parks office—their pictures, the hard work they’ve done and plaques or something. They keep their spirit with us and help us move forward—and move ahead. If you look at them, you know what they’re trying to figure out and how they’re thinking with this park here. It kind of guides you. It gives you direction just by having the faces there of the people who have passed on. They kind of look down on us. What would they say? What do I have to say? It’s like a guidance councillor or something.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Especially for the Cultural Camp, in the future, we should have better lodging for them because a damp camper is not a happy camper, a cold camper. You know how it is if you’re cold. You see the weather change from snow, rain, and the sun. It can take a lot of energy out of you. I’d like to see maybe a boys and girls bunkhouse, just for them to be more comfortable.

This is a relatively young park—say 25 years—and during that time we’re wondering: how we can get more

visitors into Tuktut Nogait? But the cost of coming up here throws some visitors off because of the isolation, the location. It’s one of the parks that has a pretty low visitor rate, but Inuvialuit have been hosting these Cultural Camps for several years now and we’re not registered as visitors.

It’s always a pleasure to come up here as a Cultural Host and pass on the knowledge, the land, the experience. The people in Paulatuuq—it’s the first time some of them come up here and it just opens their eyes and they wonder what’s over the next hill. It’s just them appreciating what we have in Tuktut Nogait.

ADVICE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

Keep it as it is, well-maintained and keep it clean. Like the Elders say: the land will take care of the people who take care of the land. So, when that respect is there, it’s always up to us to look after the land. Then it’ll help us and the future generations, through applying our knowledge to the youth and having that respect from the working group, to me, to them, and their future children. It’s ongoing and the learning process is going to be passed on from me to Julien, to Julien to his son… Hopefully they’ll—from a little child—grow up to have that same attitude: the respect of the land and the people. It’s about being brought up to become a person, and how they behave.

TUKTUT NURRAIT TANMAAQTARVIKTIGUN UQALIAQSAQ NAITTUARAALUK

TUKTUT NOGAIT IN ONE WORD

All-encompassing. Everything

you see, you kind of absorb it. It’s just all over.

You can see one way and get up on a high hill; you take all of what the people went through before us to see how they lived compared to us.

—John Max (Muffa) Kudlak

Steve Illasiak

I’m a bear monitor at the park and just help out when where I can. Actually—it’s not really in my job description but you know I’m an Elder, so I contribute to being a Cultural Host too.

I have never been part of the park and I haven’t seen it or paid much mind to it in the beginning. I’ve always wanted to, and this is my first trip here, it’s a real eye-opener.

Tuktut Nogait is so special man—it’s hard to put into words. It’s such a beautiful place to come and everybody just is totally on ease up here. Transportation is real killer to get people up here, but things like the Culture Camp, are great to get the youth involved.

The cultural aspect of it is great. To read about it is something, but actually seeing it there and with your own eyes—it’s a connection. For example, that other night I

made a connection, looking at two uluit, I had thought of my mom and grandmother.

To get into a new area which I haven’t been in many, many years—that brings you back. Sometimes your sense of direction, everything is off, so you gotta relearn things.

For me, the park brings back a lot of good memories of my mom and dad. It sort of opens you up and ties you closer to the land, I’d say. It brings back my childhood actually. It just felt like I was a little kid all over again, especially walking. I haven’t been walking at all for the last 15-20 years and I did a lot of walking. It just you know, opens you up.

The coolest thing I seen in the park was probably the bald eagle, which is quite uncommon around here and It was a treat to see, hey? I’ve seen one bald eagle and one golden eagle. I haven’t seen any of the smaller raptor birds, which I was looking forward to here.

My favourite memory is all the old sites that we’re seeing—like the cache sites and the tent rings. You notice things and you start to see the big picture. The tent rings show me that for centuries people have been watching from each high point and giving some sort of signal. In my mind it’s playing out that way, that these rings we’re seeing here are single rings, right? They’re all situated in high outlook places, and when you look at it, you can see, “Oh that tent ring is over there from that vantage point, you can see that tent ring, where that’s situated.” That to me paints a picture of how they did it.

The Park protects the young caribou—not only the young but also the second-year caribou. I’ve been noticing a lot of second-year caribou like the young ones; it gives

them a place where they can not be harassed because I’m sure they’re going through a lot of stress. Hopefully, the park gives them a place to be stress-free from man. I’m seeing a lot of young second-year caribou and I’m seeing them a lot on their own, alone. Imagine the stress that they’re going through, and then even more stress when man comes into play, right? I think it’s good that they have a place to protect them.

I think the 25th anniversary of Tuktut Nogait is really great! Our Elders and negotiators have come a long way from day 1. Someone mentioned the other day we can get portraits or pictures of Elders put in our building here, so you know everybody can see who the negotiators were. To hear about it is something else, but to actually see it there—it’ll make more of an impression on you.

“ Steve Illasiak, Nelson Ruben, and Muffa Kudlak at the 2021 Tuktut Nogait Culture Camp.

Paulatuuq has grown through learning new ideas and getting new things like the park situated. Paulatuuq has come a long way. In the beginning, we were just listeners and learners, right? And now we got the park, we can make decisions on our own and administer policies. We have more say today than we had in the beginning. The Management Board holds a lot of power and that I think it is great for Inuvialuit to hold power over their own land. I’ve been seeing a lot of that; for me, it’s great that our input means something today, hey?

In the future, I’d like to see more community involvement—forming little outlets where Inuvialuit can run sight-seeing and interpretation tours. Local people working with the park, within the park, interpreting and doing their own programs. There’s so many beautiful places here so you can have hiking trails, too. I’d like to see locals team up with the park to form little outlets where we can operate local tours in the park.

ADVICE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

I think collaboration is the big thing for Nelson and me, I’ll speak for Nelson on this one too. If we’re gonna do something, I suggest we all get together at the beginning and just show where we’re all coming from. A lot of collaboration, especially if it’s gonna be different groups. We will need more group sessions where we can hammer things out rather than let things fester; more group sessions where we can bring everything out and discuss. Everybody’s opinions need to be heard for decision making so next time it'll be better.

Somewhere down the line, I’d like to have a biologist here, maybe a botanist. Eventually what I’d like to see is our own people taking every position that’s available in the park. Also, what we need is someone local to become archaeologists and lawyers so we can go to these sites professionally, document them, set up a local museum, and display local artefacts. And that’s what I’d like to see eventually.

If we’re gonna do something, I suggest we all get together at the beginning and just show where we’re all coming from. Everybody’s opinions need to be heard for decision making so next time it'll be better.

Stephanie Yuill

Even better, I am here during the 25th anniversary of the park’s establishment. I can’t think of better timing. I get to celebrate not only Tuktut Nogait itself, but I get to honour those whose vision and hard work created the park.

Tuktut Nogait to me is about people. Living in the hamlet, I’ve seen first-hand how intimately tied Inuvialuit are to their land. Traditions of whaling, caribou hunting,

goose egg harvesting, and fish netting are part of everyday life. The cycles of the seasons and the light still influence work and play. On my daily walks out on the land, it’s not unusual to pass active hunting blinds and fishing nets or people relaxing at their camps. You cannot live in Paulatuuq and not feel the pull of the land.

People are also the reason the park is here. The BlueNose West caribou herd and the Tundra Natural Hills Region are the reasons the park exists. However, it was a passionate and dedicated group of people that banded together to protect this vital landscape and the life it sustains. Without the vision and hard work of Inuvialuit negotiators and the protection provided by Parks Canada’s mandate and staff, the land may have remained unprotected. I am grateful to every one of them that I can see water, flora, and fauna that have remained almost unchanged in hundreds of years.

U blaami! I’m Stephanie Yuill and I have the tremendous fortune to live in Paulatuuq and be employed as Site Manager for Tuktut Nogait National Park.

There are over 350 archaeological sites in the park, reminding us of those who came before us. Humans have occupied the area since 1000 AD.

—Stephanie Yuill

People are also the history of the park. There are over 350 archaeological sites in the park, reminding us of those who came before us. Humans have occupied the area since 1000 AD. Older sites are likely Thule and Copper Inuit, while more recent sites are Inuvialuit.

In 2003 I visited Pier 21 in Halifax. This is where my war-bride grandmother landed in 1946 when she migrated to Canada after WWII. As I leaned against a door where the migrants entered Canada, the interpreter noted I could be touching the exact same spot my grandmother did 57 years before. What a pow!

This summer, I was honoured to be in a different position. We organized a culture camp in the park for Paulatuuq residents. It was my turn to watch youth and Elders alike see the caches, tent rings, and qayaq stands of their ancestors for the first time. Could their greatgreat-great-grandfather have perched his qayaq on the stand that lays before us? Tuktut Nogait connects people through generations.

Tuktut Nogait National Park is also for the people of Canada. Few people see the park in person. It’s remote, expensive to get to, and has limited visitor infrastructure. Those who do make the effort to visit experience the trip of a lifetime. Plus, they don’t have to compete with crowds for the best views or a prime campsite!

Fortunately, through the wonders of the Internet, everyone can see and learn more about this amazing piece of natural and cultural history. Pictures may not do it justice, but I encourage everyone to type Tuktut Nogait into their Internet browser. Explore our rolling tundra, thundering La Roncière falls, pristine lakes, meandering streams, vast rivers, and canyons that appear to be designed by Gothic architects! Read about the inspirational Thule and Copper Inuit and learn more about the resilient Inuvialuit whose backyard is Tuktut Nogait.

Inspired to visit now? Excellent! I’ve done my job!

Maliktlugit Tumit Tamaani Many Caches Nunangani

Following Footprints at Many Caches

The landscape of what we now call Tuktut Nogait National Park tells a story of how Inuvialuit ancestors survived and thrived in the region. Like Inuvialuit today, they relied on the land to provide good food and hides. Inuvialuit ancestors

WORDS BY ASHLEY PISKOR, NOEL GREEN, RUBEN GREEN, SADIE LESTER, ALBERT RUBEN SR., RAY RUBEN SR., BRIANNA WOLKI, MARLENE WOLKI, LISA HODGETTS, AND NATASHA LYONS

travelled long distances to follow animals, like the tuktu, which provided food and materials for their clothing, tools, and homes. Throughout Tuktut Nogait, they left behind stone features, like long-lasting footprints marking their travels.

Brianna Wolki, Tuktut Nogait’s Public Outreach Education Officer, says:

Within the park, there is evidence of old campsites and rock caches. Each cultural site tells a story. These untouched sites help us to form a picture of those who came before us and how they once lived in the area. These findings also help to define who we are and where we come from.

High on the cliffs overlooking the Hornaday River and Uyarsivik Lake is a place called Many Caches. It overlooks a well-used caribou trail that crosses the Hornaday River. The area is littered with old campsites and other evidence of past activities. Covering a span of roughly 1 kilometre along the river cliffs are at least 26 caches of various sizes. Their limestone slabs were placed across naturally occurring rock crevices to protect stored food and tools from animals. Most of the caches have been opened, but a few remain sealed. Ray Ruben Sr., a Paulatuuq Elder and Tuktut Nogait Board Member, recalls a story his dad told him about how caches were put together:

This time of the year summertime is when caribou is in that area, and they hunted caribou. They cached whatever they couldn’t bring down by making these storage areas with stone and willows. It’s a little warm in some areas so they built these caches with willows in the bottom area so that there is air flow. Then they put all the meat and whatever they needed in there—and you don’t mix fish and caribou and all that—spread them as much as you can and cover them with rock. You had to use certain kind of rocks. But I remember most of what my dad told me was when they put the outside stones they tried to use round ones, because bears and wolverines are bad for digging out anything buried. They put the round rocks, and after they’re frozen, when they tried to scratch, it was round and slippery, so there was no place for them to grab onto, lift, and tear them out.

HUNTING BLINDS AND WAITING AREAS hidden amongst boulder fields camouflaged hunters waiting for caribou as they approached the slope toward them. We know from the five akutat (pavements of flat stones for preparing meat) located near the caches that meat was butchered, cut, and dried here as well. Elder Albert Ruben Sr., original Park negotiator from Paulatuuq, describes:

Couple years ago, I went to the park facility that’s up there. We went to the area further east where you could see how caribou migrated for years—hundreds of years— you could just see that trail. You could tell, on the migration route, they used to hunt caribou with bow and arrow, or spears. We see remnants, right beside the trail, of manmade tools, rocks, and hiding places, so when caribou come close enough, they just get up and harpoon them. You could just imagine when you see it: caribou passing by, then when they hear the caribou close enough, they get up from their hiding and hunt.”

Elder Noel Green, another one of the original Park negotiators, also remembers his visits to the site:

The coolest thing is those caches. Caribous were crossing that spot for hundreds of years! And they’re still using it. You go back there, and you see all these caches there, and you can see where they put their qainnat/qatjat (canoes) up, on stands. And you see the caribou trails where the caribous come up by. That’s a really cool place! You can hide in the rocks and caribou won’t even see you. And they pass right close to you. That’s how they were getting their caribou with their bows and spears, at that time.”

‘ Well-built hunting blinds are found at the site, like this one with 3-foothigh walls.

“ There are two types of qayaq rests found at the site. One, pictured here, with the stone slabs placed in a triangular formation to rest the tip of the qayaq on. The second type allowed for the qayaq to be covered with hides and stones would be used to hold down the hides.

QAYAQ RESTS that remain show us how past peoples travelled the waterways. There are two types at the site: one with two flat stone slabs to mount the qayaq on, and one with stones outlining the qayaq. Elders say this second type was used to store and protect qainnat/qatjat in the winter under hides. Broken pieces of qayaq ribs are also found in and around the rests.

Elder Ruben Green, who worked as a Cultural Host at Tuktut Nogait National Park, shares about the qayaq rests and remains:

The coolest thing I’ve seen way in the park—qayaq stands made of rocks. Sixteen-foot-long pieces of the qayaq, anywhere from 500-800 years old. To be able to have the ones before us go and bring qainnat/qatjat up there, you’re talking about over 90km for crying out loud! So that’s really cool.

‘ Markers made of small boulders can be spotted across the landscape to mark caches and other important locations. Some are etched with special markings.

A short distance away from the harvesting area are the remains of tent rings and outdoor hearths. These are constructed with small boulders that would have been used to hold down the tent hides. Together, they indicate that people camped here in the summer months. Tools found at the site shed light on the technologies past peoples made and relied on to survive. Debris from stone tool making included flakes from two types of stone: quartzite and white chert. There were also small pieces of pottery that lab analyses show were used to cook fatty meat or to render fat. Unfortunately, lab tests were not able to tell what kind of animal it came from.

‘ Akutat, pavements of stone slabs where people would process and dry meat.

‘ People often used natural crevices in the landscape to build caches.

‘ Most of the caches at the site have been opened but a couple remain closed at the base of the main terrace.

Ultimately, all of these remains at Tuktut Nogait reinforce how innovative, adaptable, and resilient Inuvialuit have been since time immemorial. Elder Sadie Lester reflects on her trip to Tuktut Nogait:

You could picture years back, your long-ago relatives, they used to kill the caribou in the water and then they carried them back to the caches to preserve until they needed them. That was something else. I didn’t know what caches were before. You know, it probably makes you respect long ago, our ancestors how they survived and whatever. They had to make everything! Like, who would know—you could use bone from the certain part of an animal for a needle! And the work they did from morning to night, just to survive. It wasn’t for pleasure. Everything they did, it was to survive.

Albert Ruben Sr. echoes Sadie’s thoughts:

It just blows my mind when you see these sites. The way you just imagine what they may have done. How innovative these people were, to make it easier for themselves to survive by using the land, the resources, the configurations of the land, and use it to their advantage.

Ray Ruben Sr. gives credit to his ancestors for all they did to survive and thrive in what is now known as Tuktut Nogait National Park:

A lot of what they did back then survived us down here in the coast, through their families. It’s tied right into who we are today and why we’re trying to protect the park.

Just like the caribou who leave well-worn trails showing their migrations, people leave traces of where they have been. Inuvialuit continue to use the land today, not only to harvest and experience the land like their ancestors, but also to care for and learn from the landscape and the sites that remain. Elder Marlene Wolki, a former Parks Canada staff member, talks about what Many Caches means to her:

Going out to the park, showing the Cache sites... People were already there who made footprints there. People have been there before. My footprints were there, too! I’m really proud of our park—of our people. It was good to see all the people who made ‘footprints’ in the park, and mine was one of them. I hope that it will keep on going.

Learning from the past is important because, as Marlene Wolki says, “‘If you know where you come from, you know where you’re going.’ I remember hearing that in Inuvialuktun and it really stuck with me.”

A lot of what they did back then survived us down here in the coast, through their families.

It’s tied right into who we are today and why we’re trying to protect the park.

LOGAN RUBEN (born 1995, Inuuvik, NT) Great Cache Under the Midnight Sun, 2021 Acrylic on Canvas 36"×48"

"I've never had the opportunity of being at Many Caches, so I see myself one day visiting this specific spot and revisiting the painting."

” The dynamic ecosystem within Tuktut Nogait National Park. Photo provided by Parks Canada.

Nautchiurlugit Nunam Nautait

Within Tuktut Nogait National Park, Parks Canada monitors important aspects of the ecosystem to ensure we understand changes that are occurring.

Ecosystems are very dynamic and can adapt to environmental and man-made changes like climate change and development. However, warming temperatures in the arctic are altering the local food supply (caribou, whales, birds), causing more erratic weather patterns, and impacting the timing of ecological processes throughout the Arctic. Parks Canada’s Western Arctic Field Unit (WAFU) monitors tundra and freshwater ecosystems as an overall representation of the park's health.

WORDS by: PADEN LENNIE (RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OFFICER II); KATE LEONARD (CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ADVISOR); With additions from COLLEEN ARNISON (RESOURCE CONSERVATION MANAGER)

Monitoring the herd’s population is important for two main reasons: (1) to protect Bluenose-West herd, including the calving and postcalving grounds; and (2) to work alongside the Inuvialuit and various government agencies in managing the herd, while allowing opportunities for subsistence harvesting.

” Bluenose-west caribou. Photo provided by Parks Canada.

BLUENOSE-WEST CARIBOU POPULATION

Bluenose-West caribou are barren-ground caribou that are culturally significant and a preferred source of food for Inuvialuit in Paulatuuq. The herd’s important calving and post-calving grounds are located in Tuktut Nogait National Park, which is one of the main purposes of protecting the area as a National Park. Prior to 1992, the population of Bluenose-West herd was as high as 112,000; however, in the 1990s, the population declined. It is likely a combination of various factors that caused the decline and is slowing the recovery of the herd, ongoing conservation actions are needed to help the herd recover (Advisory Committee for Cooperation on Wildlife Management, 2014).

To estimate the size of the herd, the Government of Northwest Territories (with support from Parks Canada) conducts a photo census survey every 3-5 years; complementing the survey, the Advisory Committee for Cooperation on Wildlife Management (ACCWM1) works with Traditional Knowledge holders regarding the current state of the herd. The last population size was estimated in 2018 to be 21,011 +/- 4,602, which shows a stable trend since 2005. Local Traditional Knowledge data has matched and supported what the recent population trends has shown.

2000s2. Although there is no consensus on the extent or cause of the decline, all agree that caribou are an essential resource and central to the social, economic, cultural, and spiritual well-being of the local people. Considering what is at stake, it is important to have a plan to sustain these herds so we may have caribou for future generations (see Taking Care of Caribou Management Plan, 2014).

Monitoring the herd’s population is important for two main reasons: (1) to protect Bluenose-West herd, including the calving and post-calving grounds; and (2) to work alongside the Inuvialuit and various government agencies in managing the herd, while allowing opportunities for subsistence harvesting. A healthy caribou population is considered a sign that the tundra ecosystem is also healthy.

RAPTOR OCCUPANCY

The monitoring of Tuktut Nogait’s native cliff-nesting raptors, such as Peregrine Falcons, Rough-Legged hawks, Golden Eagles, and Gyrfalcons helps us understand the health of the park. Although raptor surveys in the park go back to the early 1990s, a regular monitoring schedule is new to the park and still in development. To count raptors, Parks Canada staff look for active nests, identify species and how many eggs or young in nest, and count raptors flying overhead when they canoe or hike in the park. 1 Visit https://accwm.com

The results of scientific studies and observations by local caribou harvesters and Elders indicate that barren-ground caribou herds in the western arctic declined in the early

to learn more. 2 From Section 1, Paragraph E of Taking Care of Caribou: The Cape Bathurst, Bluenose-West, and Bluenose-East Barren-ground Caribou Herds Management Plan By Advisory Committee for Cooperation on Wildlife Management, November 3, 2014.

” Adult Rough-Legged Hawk peeks out of nest while incubating eggs.

Photo provided by Parks Canada.

” Tundra and the sparkling Hornaday River. Photo provided by Parks Canada.

Metals (in water)

Nutrients and Ions (in water)

Benthic Invertebrates (bugs that live at the bottom of streams)

Freshwater

Streamflow (discharge and water level)

Bluenose-West caribou

Permafrost

Vegetation Change

Tundra

Lemmings

Raptors (birds of prey)

Tuktut Nogait Ecological Integrity Monitoring Program

Photo: Sander van der Wel

Photo: Stephanie Yuill

RIVER MONITORING

The Hornaday River is the lifeline for Tuktut Nogait National Park, carving its way through the center of the park and passing a variety of habitat types. The majority of the species in the park rely on this river system—making Parks Canada’s river monitoring trip an essential part in assessing the river health within Tuktut Nogait.

During the river trip, Parks Canada monitors the freshwater ecosystem through measures such as water quality and benthic invertebrates (bugs that live at the bottom of streams), and the tundra ecosystem through measures such as lemming nest counts and a raptor survey. This provides us with a better understanding of Tuktut Nogait’s overall ecosystem health. Benthic invertebrates are an important and common freshwater ecosystem health indictor as their diversity indicates what kind of fish species (char, grayling, and trout) can be supported in an ecosystem.

Parks Canada uses national standards for monitoring water but also strives to improve our understanding of the freshwater ecosystem. In 2021, Parks Canada included a new DNA extraction method for monitoring benthic invertebrate presence within river systems; this new technique may help us identify new benthic invertebrates. While water quality monitoring along the Hornaday River follows the Canadian Guideline for the Protection of Aquatic Life Thresholds (i.e. fish, benthic invertebrates, and waterfowl)—the Hornaday River water quality consistently supports a healthy diverse river system.

.

PADEN LENNIE is Parks Canada Western Arctic Field Unit's current Resource Management Officer II. If you would like more information about his work and how to become involved in Parks Canada, contact paden.lennie@pc.gc.ca

At the end of June 2021, a group of six Parks Canada employees landed at Canoe Lake just to the south of Tuktut Nogait National Park.

 Parks Canada staff conducting freshwater ecosystem monitoring on the Hornaday River.

Photo provided by Parks Canada.

ž View over Uyarsivik Lake creek and ELM Hill. Photo provided by Parks Canada.

Over nine days we travelled 160 km north on the Hornaday River to Uyarsivik Lake. Along the way, we monitored the health of the river, checked raptor nesting sites, and examined vegetation in different ecosystems. Cultural resource monitoring was done to assess the condition of known archaeological sites.

River trips give Parks Canada staff the opportunity to travel through the park by canoe and approach sites on foot, allowing us to collect data with the lowest possible impact to flora and fauna. This lets us see and move in a similar way to how Inuvialuit would have in the past so we can better understand the archaeological sites and their position in the landscape.

A Paulatuuq community member is usually employed by Parks Canada as a research assistant for monitoring trips in Tuktut Nogait National Park. This provides the community member with a paid opportunity to be amongst the

landscape, canoe the Hornaday River, and experience the work associated with data collection in the field. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, no monitoring was done in 2020 and only Parks Canada employees were able to participate this year. The employment of a community member will recommence when the next river trip takes place.

Tuktut Nogait National Park is bound by two land claim agreements: the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (1984) and the Sahtú Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement (1993). Parks Canada is mandated under the Canada National Parks Act and guided by the Tuktut Nogait Agreement to preserve and present the cultural resources of Tuktut Nogait National Park. Assessing archaeological sites is one way to fulfill that mandate. It also fulfils one of the purposes of the national park in the Tuktut Nogait Agreement: to encourage a greater understanding and respect for Inuvialuit cultural heritage.

Pitqusiqtigun Nautchiuqtuat

Cultural Resource Monitoring

Inuvialuit have been present in what is now TuktutNogait National Park for so long that at some sites there are different styles of tent rings right next to each other—big heavy cobbles or lighter stones—showing that the same location was used by many generations.

There are over 400 known archaeological sites in Tuktut Nogait National Park. Most of these are beside the large rivers that act as water-roads into the interior (Hornaday, Little Hornaday, Brock, and Roscoe). You can see tent rings, caches, drive lines, hunting blinds, meat drying and processing areas, and marker stones. Some of the sites are small, like a single cache on a hillside, and some are very large with many features, like a camp with many tent rings. We can envisage Inuvialuit occupying single tents or staying together in a big camp.

The first step in cultural resource monitoring is to locate the site using a handheld GPS and a written description. We then identify the features (tent rings, hearths, etc.) and check they are in the same condition as the last time they were recorded. There are very few visitors to Tuktut Nogait National Park so disturbances are only from natural processes, like siksik burrowing or wind erosion. The next step is to make a digital map of the site using the handheld digital mapper. We also use our notebook and a paper form to make notes and a sketch map. The final step

is to take photos of the features and site location. Cultural resource monitoring is essentially photographing, recording map points and making notes—nothing is taken away or moved around.

The best part of doing cultural resource monitoring in Tuktut Nogait National Park is picturing what Inuvialuit were doing at that exact spot many, many years in the past and what the site may have looked like full of activity.

After the river trip is finished the recorded information is processed and organised. A report is written about the work done and the condition of the cultural resources visited, and is shared with the Tuktut Nogait National Park Management Board. A presentation is also made to the board at one of their meetings. All the data, photographs and notes are available for creating educational kits, for cultural camps or other community programs, and for guiding further research and park management. Anyone can contact the parks Canada office in Paulatuuq to learn more about the trips and the work done.

The archaeological sites in Tuktut Nogait National Park remain untouched and in place—a reminder that Inuvialuit, since time immemorial, are still reaching forward through the generations to tell their stories.

 Part of a stone alignment close to Uyarsivik Lake Base Camp. Photo provided by Parks Canada.

KATE LEONARD is Parks Canada Western Arctic Field Unit's current Cultural Resource Management Advisor. If you would like more information about the work Parks Canada does related to cultural resource management, you can contact kate.leonard@pc.gc.ca

Nautchiat Tuktut Nurrait Tanmaaqtarvingmi

Flowers of Tuktut Nogait

PHOTOS & WORDS by STEPHANIE YUILL

CAPITATE LOUSEWORT

Despite their disagreeable sounding name, the capitate lousewort, like many showy flowers, is said to be quite tasty!

To reproduce, the flowers of plants are rich with sugary, sticky nectar. This nectar attracts bees, birds and butterflies who lap up the nectar. In the process, these flying wonders transfer pollen from one flower to next!

Humans are not immune to tasty, sweet treats! Elders have described the capitate lousewort’s flowers as being juicy and like grapes from the store.

RIVER BEAUTY/ DWARF FIREWEED

PRICKLY SAXIFRAGE

FLAME LOUSEWORT

BOG ROSEMARY

SHRUBBY CINQUEFOIL

ARCTIC HEATHER

Move over giant Sequoia trees! This small (5-10 cm), low-lying northern shrub packs its own giant punch. The delicate white flowers are beautiful to look at—but it is the plant’s waxy looking leaves that can save a life.

The waxy feel is due to the high-resin content found in the plant. Resin is a natural fire starter. This means that, wet or dry, Arctic Heather is perfect fuel and a great way to start a campfire for warmth or cooking. It is a vital tool in a land with limited natural fuel resources.

The smoke from burning Arctic Heather can also be used to prevent flies and other insects landing on drying meat or fish. Thankfully, the smell does not bother humans. Instead, the plant’s stem is a perfect natural incense. Try it on a stove, in a candleholder, or on a flat rock! That scent is a wonderful treat for those who use Arctic Heather for bedding. Gathered in large amounts, the plant can be layered on the ground to provide soft cushioning for a solid night’s sleep.

ARCTIC COTTON

This easily recognizable plant is as functional as it beautiful! The soft, white flowerheads provide food and comfort to many on the tundra. It's a tasty morsel for caribou, providing much needed energy to sustain them on their annual migration.

The heads also provide heat and light. Their fluffy composition makes them perfect tinder for starting fire in the late fall and early winter. Early Inuvialuit would use cotton grass heads as wicks in lanterns fueled by whale or seal oil.

WOOLY LOUSEWORT

One of the most surprising plants on the tundra, every summer the woolly lousewort morphs from a white, gray, mushroom-like thumb to a pink beacon of beauty.

Bumblebees, along with butterflies, are attracted to the pink flowers on the plant, hence its Inuvialuktun name, iguttait niqautingit (bumblebee food).

However, bees and butterflies aren’t the only species that find the woolly lousewort useful! The white fuzz found on the plant makes fine tinder for starting a fire. And if you dig deeper, under the soil, the yellow-coloured roots make a nutty treat. Some Elders recall their grandparents dipping them in seal oil or duck fat. Better than chips and dip!

2021 Ukiungani Nutauyuat Inuit Pitqusiq Aturlugu Aullaaqturviat

2021 Youth Cultural Camp

Parks Canada has been hosting camps since 2003! That first year, staff and students gathered at Aktlaq Lake for six days of fishing, swimming, hiking, learning, and pure enjoyment. Since then, Paulatuuq residents of all ages have experienced camps at Thrasher, Rat, and One Island lakes. In 2014, with the construction of a permanent building at Uyarsivik Lake in the park, the camp found a permanent home.

The camp—now named Camp Jonah Nakimayak—is in the perfect setting. Located on the massive Uyarsivik Lake, it’s rich in cultural sites, wildlife habitat, and scenic vistas. Many Caches is a short 6km hike away and just beyond that is the Hornaday River. There’s no better spot for participants to learn more about their ancestors’ culture, to lend a hand at traditional activities, and to understand more about Tuktut Nogait itself.

—Stephanie Yuill, Park Manager

PHOTOS by MATAYA GILLIS & LEXIS MCDONALD (PANIGAQ)

The caribou ran under us as we soared through the sky

We watched as the snow fell in July and covered the land like a blanket

We danced with the wind while we set up our tents

We hiked to places our ancestors once roamed

We played cards as we auntie-laughed the nights away

Our ancestors hiked these lands

Paddled these rivers

Fished these lakes

For 10 days

We experienced what

They experienced

We learned

We taught

We laughed

We cried

But we always ended up fishing under the midnight sun

ž Keara Ruben breaks while hiking.

Photo by Mataya Gillis.

ž Steve Illasiak and Julian Green out for a paddle to get snow for slushies. Photo by Stephanie Yuill.

As Summer 2021 Tusaayaksat Interns, this art piece was made to reflect the inspiration Mataya and I received from our trip to the Tuktut Nogait National Park for a Culture Camp with other Inuvialuit from Paulatuuq.

To create this piece, I took reference from the land we stayed on to create the environment and landscape in the painting. Some of the animals you see were also drawn from reference pictures we took out at the camp, while others were simply animals you could find in that region. Each animal was designed to help represent the people we spent time with and even took some significance in regard to their placement in the painting.

A lot happened during our trip, and I did my best to help portray the growth, truth, discovery, lessons, and connections we experienced during those ten days together.

—Panigaq

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ATANAUYAQPAALUUYUAQ INUVIALUUYUANUN TAMAINNUN UQAUSINGA MESSAGE FROM THE IRC CHAIR & CEO

Aaqana. At 25+ years of Tuktut Nogait (Tuktut Nurrait) Park, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation appreciates the original and determined commitment of our co-signatories: Paulatuk Community Corporation, the Paulatuk Hunters and Trappers Committee, the Inuvialuit Game Council and congratulates Canada in reaching the Tuktut Nogait Agreement.

Accomplished together, this formal understanding recognizes the additional significance of this land to Canada and to Inuvialuit alike and was passed into Canadian law to strengthen existing protections. The agreement was made to ensure that the local community—the occupants and harvesters of this land—will always have a lead role in the management of this land and will be able to see the benefits from opportunity.

In the negotiation process, Inuvialuit leaders modelled a proper collaborative partnership. You will read stories of how local leaders set the culturally based terms and approaches for parties to work under respectfully and productively.

Inuvialuit have also had to educate governments in the reality that basic decision making is best left to those Indigenous to the area and living there day to day, who can and should retain both rights and choice in land use and land protection, and that the outcomes of those decisions can sustainably stand, over time, for everyone’s enrichment. And again, to undertake this work requires the consistent and meaningful financial resources from Canada.

Respect is due for the Inuvialuit Knowledge of local Elders regarding these lands and ecosystems which set the vision for the park. Their generous contribution of knowledge that encompasses science, with their experience and their foresight, initiated the process and could then fuel the stamina and the resolve of all Inuvialuit leadership throughout the negotiations until a thorough agreement was reached. Because of their wisdom, the Tuktut Nogait Agreement now exists as a

self-determined supplement to the IFA, under the same goals, for the overall benefit and interests of future Inuvialuit and as further outline for the continuous work in implementation.

The examples provided throughout this magazine reflect the original intent of community leaders, with the youth continuing to gain inspiration, appreciation and understanding of the impressive cultural heritage and substantial resources at stake and enjoying their time in this area whenever they can visit: passing on Inuvialuit Knowledge and framing their aspirations for the future.

The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation hopes that children and youth will become encouraged to pursue careers within the park, whether in guiding services by land and sea, as cooks or harvesters, wilderness first aid and search and rescue, in the research fields of permafrost, animal biology and botany among others and especially as future leaders of their community!

The objective of the park is for the integrity of the ecosystem to be maintained while Inuvialuit welcome responsible eco-tourism, lead collaborative research endeavors and cultural opportunities within the park while there is continued acknowledgement of Inuvialuit rights to sustainably harvest for the food security of the greater community.

The Tuktut Nogait Agreement was inspirational in again showing that Inuvialuit processes and priority can lead policy; we know Inuvialuit knowledge should be the lead within science and beyond as we determine the priority for ISR lands, our day to day lives, and that Inuvialuit set our own priorities for sustainable livelihood.

Creation of this park is a perfect example of the Inuvialuit aspirations when it comes to the IFA as well as our objective to be part of our sustainable ecosystem.

Respectfully,

DUANE NINGAQSIQ SMITH

The community of Paulatuuq first proposed the establishment of a national park in the region in 1988. In 1996, following five years of negotiations, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the Inuvialuit Game Council, the Paulatuuq Community Corporation, the Paulatuuq Hunters and Trappers Committee, the Government of Canada, and the Government of the Northwest Territories signed the Tuktut Nogait Agreement. In 1998, Parliament established Tuktut Nogait National Park in legislation.

To protect the Bluenose caribou herd and its calving and post-calving habitat.

To protect for all time a representative natural area of Canadian significance in the Tundra Hills Natural Region, and to encourage public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the area so as to leave it unimpaired for future generations.

To enhance co-operation between Inuvialuit and the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories in planning, operating, and managing the Park.

To enhance and support local employment and business, and to strengthen the local and regional economies, while making provision for Subsistence Usage within the Park.

To encourage greater understanding of and respect for the cultural heritage of Inuvialuit and the natural environment in which it has evolved.

To provide a setting in which long-term ecological and cultural heritage research may be undertaken.

To maintain the ecological integrity of the Park, and thereby contribute to the maintenance of the ecological integrity of the ISR as a whole.

NEGOTIATED PURPOSES OF TUKTUT NOGAIT