Thaidene Nëné means Land of the Ancestors in Dënesųłıné. It is the homeland of the Łutsël K'é Dene First Nation.

Thaidene Nëné is an Indigenous protected area that spans 6.5 million acres (26,376 square kilometers) at the transition between boreal forest and tundra, including the east arm of Tu Nedhé  (Great Slave Lake), the deepest freshwater lake in North America. It also provides habitat for sas cho (grizzly bears), nunı (wolves), denı́e (moose), and yutthéjëré (muskox), and the critical wintering ground of Ɂetthën (caribou).

The area was designated by the Łutsël K'é Dene First Nation in 2019 as an Indigenous Protected Area using Dene Law.

Within the Thaidene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area, Parks Canada designated an area of 14,305 km2 as a national park reserve (NPR) under the National Parks Act. The Government of the Northwest Territories established the first territorial protected area in the NWT, measuring 8,906 km2, by regulation under the Territorial Protected Areas Act. The 3,165-square kilometer wildlife conservation area (WCA) was designated by regulation under the NWT Wildlife Act.

It is the first and largest co-managed IPA in Northern Canada.

I have been working with the community of Łutsël K'é and the stakeholders of Thaidene Nëné since 2015 to document the creation and management of the IPA.

Above text from landoftheancestors.ca
Land of The Ancestors - A view of Pethei peninsula, at the western edge of...
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A view of Pethei peninsula, at the western edge of Thaidene Nen National Park Reserve.
A view of Pethei peninsula, at the western edge of Thaidene Nen National Park Reserve.
Land of The Ancestors - Fish and moose hides are hung to dry inside of a teepee....
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Fish and moose hides are hung to dry inside of a teepee. Each summer, residents of Łutsel K’e organize a moose hide tanning camp — a series of informal workshops and collaborations between elders, adults and youth to relearn the traditional practice of tanning hides to make clothing like gloves or moccassins.
Fish and moose hides are hung to dry inside of a teepee. Each summer, residents of Łutsel... READ ON
Land of The Ancestors - James Marlowe, a local outfitter and Thaidene Nene...
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James Marlowe, a local outfitter and Thaidene Nene advisory member, pulls a trout from his fish net near Lutsel K'e. Marlowe has been involved in negotiations for several years and sees the park as a good opportunity for Lutsel K'e businesses, the Ni Hat'ni Dene program, local tourism and the overall management and conservation of the park.
James Marlowe, a local outfitter and Thaidene Nene advisory member, pulls a trout from... READ ON
Land of The Ancestors - J.C. Catholique, a social worker, cultural coordinator...
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J.C. Catholique, a social worker, cultural coordinator and resepcted elder from Łutselkʼe steers a boat toward Fort Reliance. "Our family name was given to us by the priests that thought it sounded like 'catholic' in our language. My name is John but it was originally Gabriel, one day a priest just said my name was John and that's what we went with. These names mean nothing to us. It's more important that we know who we are as people," he says.
J.C. Catholique, a social worker, cultural coordinator and resepcted elder from Łutselkʼe... READ ON
Land of The Ancestors - Iris Catholique takes aim at a muskox on the shoreline...
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Iris Catholique takes aim at a muskox on the shoreline near Moose Bay.
Iris Catholique takes aim at a muskox on the shoreline near Moose Bay.
Land of The Ancestors - Eggs from a trout are stuffed in tripe so that it can be...
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Eggs from a trout are stuffed in tripe so that it can be cooked over a campfire on Etthen Island. Fish is an important part of the food and culture in Łutsël K’é, which means place of small fish in Dëne Sųłıné Yatıé.
Eggs from a trout are stuffed in tripe so that it can be cooked over a campfire on Etthen... READ ON
Land of The Ancestors - Friends and family gather at Etthen Island.
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Friends and family gather at Etthen Island.
Friends and family gather at Etthen Island.
Land of The Ancestors - Celebrations and dancing after the signing of Thaidene...
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Celebrations and dancing after the signing of Thaidene Nene Indigenous Protected Area.
Celebrations and dancing after the signing of Thaidene Nene Indigenous Protected Area.
Land of The Ancestors - Tommy Lafferty, J.C. Catholique and Denecho Catholique...
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Tommy Lafferty, J.C. Catholique and Denecho Catholique inside the cabin at Timber Bay.
Tommy Lafferty, J.C. Catholique and Denecho Catholique inside the cabin at Timber Bay.
Land of The Ancestors - Iris Catholique makes drymeat - a type of jerky - from...
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Iris Catholique makes drymeat - a type of jerky - from muskox brisket on the floor of the cabin at Timber Bay.
Iris Catholique makes drymeat - a type of jerky - from muskox brisket on the floor of the... READ ON
Land of The Ancestors - The Catholic Church of the Holy Family is an iconic...
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The Catholic Church of the Holy Family is an iconic structure in Lutsel K'e and is one of the reasons the community exists. Traditionally, people lived in small settlements around Thaidene Nene and the East Arm of Great Slave Lake. In the late 1920's, The Hudson's Bay Company opened a trading post and thereafter, the church, and encouraged the indigenous people to settle there.
The Catholic Church of the Holy Family is an iconic structure in Lutsel K'e and is... READ ON
Land of The Ancestors - The edge of the treeline at Timber Bay, Northwest...
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The edge of the treeline at Timber Bay, Northwest Territories.
The edge of the treeline at Timber Bay, Northwest Territories.
Land of The Ancestors - J.C. Catholique strips the branches from a tree to make...
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J.C. Catholique strips the branches from a tree to make poles for a teepee at Timber Bay.
J.C. Catholique strips the branches from a tree to make poles for a teepee at Timber Bay.
Land of The Ancestors - Reuben Fatt rests in the snow at an old settlement near...
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Reuben Fatt rests in the snow at an old settlement near Timber Bay.
Reuben Fatt rests in the snow at an old settlement near Timber Bay.
Land of The Ancestors - Victoria (Vicki) Sanderson, elder in Lutsel K'e, NWT.
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Victoria (Vicki) Sanderson, elder in Lutsel K'e, NWT.
Victoria (Vicki) Sanderson, elder in Lutsel K'e, NWT.
Land of The Ancestors - A wall tent at Catholique Point in Łutsel Kʼe.
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A wall tent at Catholique Point in Łutsel Kʼe.
A wall tent at Catholique Point in Łutsel Kʼe.
Land of The Ancestors - A raven flies around the streets of Łutsel Kʼe.
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A raven flies around the streets of Łutsel Kʼe.
A raven flies around the streets of Łutsel Kʼe.
Land of The Ancestors - Pat Lockhart on his snowmobile in Łutsel Kʼe.
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Pat Lockhart on his snowmobile in Łutsel Kʼe.
Pat Lockhart on his snowmobile in Łutsel Kʼe.
Land of The Ancestors - Boaters make their way across Christie Bay near Łutsel...
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Boaters make their way across Christie Bay near Łutsel K’e, Northwest Territories, the entry way to Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve.
Boaters make their way across Christie Bay near Łutsel K’e, Northwest Territories,... READ ON
Land of The Ancestors - Ron Desjarlais tosses a whitefish into a bucket while...
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Ron Desjarlais tosses a whitefish into a bucket while checking fish nets in Christie Bay, near Łutsel Kʼe.
Ron Desjarlais tosses a whitefish into a bucket while checking fish nets in Christie Bay,... READ ON
Land of The Ancestors - Girls drive through the roads of Łutsel Kʼe on a...
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Girls drive through the roads of Łutsel Kʼe on a four-wheeler.
Girls drive through the roads of Łutsel Kʼe on a four-wheeler.
Land of The Ancestors - James Lockhart’s granddaughter looks out the window...
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James Lockhart’s granddaughter looks out the window toward Christie Bay.


James Lockhart’s granddaughter looks out the window toward Christie Bay.
Land of The Ancestors - A drum dance at the official signing of Thaidene Nene...
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A drum dance at the official signing of Thaidene Nene Indigenous Protected Area.
A drum dance at the official signing of Thaidene Nene Indigenous Protected Area.
Land of The Ancestors - Jasmine and her twin girls. Can get full names if needed.
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Jasmine and her twin girls. Can get full names if needed.
Jasmine and her twin girls. Can get full names if needed.
Land of The Ancestors - James Lockhart.
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James Lockhart.
James Lockhart.
Land of The Ancestors - An unkindness of ravens seek shelter on an abandoned...
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An unkindness of ravens seek shelter on an abandoned building at the Lutsel K'e shoreline as storm clouds form overhead.
An unkindness of ravens seek shelter on an abandoned building at the Lutsel K'e... READ ON
Land of The Ancestors - The Church of the Holy Family, the largest and most...
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The Church of the Holy Family, the largest and most recognizable building in Łutsel Kʼe.
The Church of the Holy Family, the largest and most recognizable building in Łutsel Kʼe.
Land of The Ancestors - Kids play on the swings in Łutsel Kʼe.
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Kids play on the swings in Łutsel Kʼe.
Kids play on the swings in Łutsel Kʼe.
Land of The Ancestors - Terri Enzoe, an elder and leader of the Łutsel Kʼe Dene...
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Terri Enzoe, an elder and leader of the Łutsel Kʼe Dene First Nation and founding member of the Ni Hat’ni Dene Guardioans, at Talthelei Narrows, Northwest Territories.
Terri Enzoe, an elder and leader of the Łutsel Kʼe Dene First Nation and founding member... READ ON
Land of The Ancestors - Children play on a trampoline in the community of Lutsel...
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Children play on a trampoline in the community of Lutsel K'e, Northwest Terriories. Community leaders worked for decades to establish Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve as an opportunity for future generations to have employment and to also keep their traditional pursuits and treaty rights protected.
Children play on a trampoline in the community of Lutsel K'e, Northwest Terriories.... READ ON
Land of The Ancestors - The sunset lights up a patch of fireweed in Łutsel...
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The sunset lights up a patch of fireweed in Łutsel K’e.
The sunset lights up a patch of fireweed in Łutsel K’e.
Thaidene Nëné means Land of the Ancestors in Dënesųłıné. It is the homeland of the Łutsël K'é Dene First Nation.

Thaidene Nëné is an Indigenous protected area that spans 6.5 million acres (26,376 square kilometers) at the transition between boreal forest and tundra, including the east arm of Tu Nedhé  (Great Slave Lake), the deepest freshwater lake in North America. It also provides habitat for sas cho (grizzly bears), nunı (wolves), denı́e (moose), and yutthéjëré (muskox), and the critical wintering ground of Ɂetthën (caribou).

The area was designated by the Łutsël K'é Dene First Nation in 2019 as an Indigenous Protected Area using Dene Law.

Within the Thaidene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area, Parks Canada designated an area of 14,305 km2 as a national park reserve (NPR) under the National Parks Act. The Government of the Northwest Territories established the first territorial protected area in the NWT, measuring 8,906 km2, by regulation under the Territorial Protected Areas Act. The 3,165-square kilometer wildlife conservation area (WCA) was designated by regulation under the NWT Wildlife Act.

It is the first and largest co-managed IPA in Northern Canada.

I have been working with the community of Łutsël K'é and the stakeholders of Thaidene Nëné since 2015 to document the creation and management of the IPA.

Above text from landoftheancestors.ca

Pat Kane

Photography of Northern Canada. Based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories on the traditional land of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.
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