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, 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!

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.