Dettah, Northwest Territories
Encyclopedia
Dettah or Detah is a First Nations
community in the North Slave Region
of the Northwest Territories
, Canada
. Located just outside the capital of Yellowknife, it is a 6.5 km (4 mi) drive from that town by ice road
in winter or a 27 km (16.8 mi) drive via the Ingraham Trail
. The name means 'Burnt Point' in the Tli Cho
language, and refers to a traditional fishing camp, used by the Dene
for hundreds of years.
According to the 2006 Census
, Dettah had a population of 247 people, consisting almost entirely of First Nations. In 2009 the Government of the Northwest Territories reported that the population was 257 with an average yearly growth rate of 2.2 from 1996.
Both it and N'Dilo are the communities of the Yellowknives
. Dettah is represented by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation (Dettah) and are part of the Akaitcho Territory Government
.
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
community in the North Slave Region
North Slave Region
The North Slave Region is one of five administrative regions in the Northwest Territories. The region consists of eight communities with the regional offices situated in Behchoko and Yellowknife. With the exception of Yellowknife the communities are predominately First Nations.-Communities:The...
of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Located just outside the capital of Yellowknife, it is a 6.5 km (4 mi) drive from that town by ice road
Ice road
Ice roads are frozen, human-made structures on the surface of bays, rivers, lakes, or seas in the far north. They link dry land, frozen waterways, portages and winter roads, and are usually remade each winter. Ice roads allow temporary transport to areas with no permanent road access...
in winter or a 27 km (16.8 mi) drive via the Ingraham Trail
Ingraham Trail
Highway 4, known more commonly as the Ingraham Trail, extends from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories to Tibbitt Lake, approximately east of Yellowknife...
. The name means 'Burnt Point' in the Tli Cho
Tli Cho
The Tłįchǫ or Tåîchô First Nation, formerly known as the Dogrib, are a Dene Aboriginal Canadian people living in the Northwest Territories , Canada....
language, and refers to a traditional fishing camp, used by the Dene
Dene
The Dene are an aboriginal group of First Nations who live in the northern boreal and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dené speak Northern Athabaskan languages. Dene is the common Athabaskan word for "people" . The term "Dene" has two usages...
for hundreds of years.
According to the 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
, Dettah had a population of 247 people, consisting almost entirely of First Nations. In 2009 the Government of the Northwest Territories reported that the population was 257 with an average yearly growth rate of 2.2 from 1996.
Both it and N'Dilo are the communities of the Yellowknives
Yellowknives
The Yellowknives, Yellow Knives, Copper Indians, Red Knives or T'atsaot'ine are Aboriginal peoples of Canada, one of the five main groups of the Dene indigenous people that live in the Northwest Territories of Canada...
. Dettah is represented by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation (Dettah) and are part of the Akaitcho Territory Government
Akaitcho Territory Government
The Akaitcho Territory Government is a First Nations organization representing the Dene people of the Northwest Territories, Canada.-Members:*Deninu Kue First Nation - Fort Resolution*Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation - Lutselk'e...
.
Further reading
- Northwest Territories, and BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc. Communities and Diamonds Socio-Economic Impacts in the Communities of: Behchoko, Gameti, Whati, Wekweeti, Detah, Ndilo, Lutsel K'e, and Yellowknife : 2005 Annual Report of the Government of the Northwest Territories Under the BHP Billiton, Diavik and De Beers Socio-Economic Agreements. [Yellowknife]: Govt. of the Northwest Territories, 2006.