History of Northwest Territories
Encyclopedia
The History of the Northwest Territories has been a struggle for responsible government
, provincial rights, and social development.
.
. As a result the province of Manitoba
was created. Both jurisdictions entered confederation in 1870.
The first Northwest Territories government sits in 1872 after the Temporary North-West Council
is appointed.
The Arctic Archipelago was transferred from the United Kingdom
to Canada
in 1880. The Northwest Territories hit its peak in size.
The first territorial election took place in 1881.
French was abolished as an official language in 1892.
Following the Klondike Gold Rush
, a separate Yukon Territory is created from the western NWT in 1898.
and Saskatchewan
separated from the territories in 1905. Although the District of Keewatin
was given back to the territories, the population dropped from approx 160,000 to 17,000, of which 16,000 were aboriginal and had no right to vote under Canadian law. The government of the Northwest Territories defaulted back to its 1870 constitutional status, and once again came under federal control, governed from Ottawa.
In 1969, A special committee of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories chose a new flag
for the territory. Robert Bessant
's design was chosen among entries to a Canada-wide contest.
The government would introduce the popular polar bear
license plate
in 1970.
residents voted in favour of a division of the area, and the federal government gave a conditional agreement seven months later. After a long series of land claim negotiations between the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada
and the federal government (begun earlier in 1976), an agreement was reached in September 1992. In June 1993, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act and the Nunavut Act were passed by the Canadian Parliament, and the transition to the new territory of Nunavut
was completed on April 1, 1999.
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
, provincial rights, and social development.
Pre-Confederation history
The territories were purchased from the Hudson's Bay CompanyHudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
.
History 1869 - 1876
Northwest Territories delayed entering confederation due to the Red River RebellionRed River Rebellion
The Red River Rebellion or Red River Resistance was the sequence of events related to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by the Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Settlement, in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba.The Rebellion was the first crisis...
. As a result the province of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
was created. Both jurisdictions entered confederation in 1870.
The first Northwest Territories government sits in 1872 after the Temporary North-West Council
Temporary North-West Council
The Temporary North-West Council more formally known as the Council of the Northwest Territories and by its short name as the North-West Council lasted from the creation of Northwest Territories, Canada, in 1870 until it was dissolved in 1876...
is appointed.
History 1876 - 1905
The first Northwest Territories government sat inside the territories at Fort Livingstone for the first time in 1876. In 1898, The Yukon stopped being part of Northwest TerritoriesThe Arctic Archipelago was transferred from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to 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...
in 1880. The Northwest Territories hit its peak in size.
The first territorial election took place in 1881.
French was abolished as an official language in 1892.
Following the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
, a separate Yukon Territory is created from the western NWT in 1898.
History 1905 - 1951
AlbertaAlberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
separated from the territories in 1905. Although the District of Keewatin
District of Keewatin
The District of Keewatin was a territory of Canada and later an administrative district of the Northwest Territories.The name "Keewatin" comes from Algonquian roots—either kīwēhtin in Cree or giiwedin in Ojibwe—both of which mean north wind in their respective languages...
was given back to the territories, the population dropped from approx 160,000 to 17,000, of which 16,000 were aboriginal and had no right to vote under Canadian law. The government of the Northwest Territories defaulted back to its 1870 constitutional status, and once again came under federal control, governed from Ottawa.
History 1951 - 1970
Elections returned in 1951, but rather than being fully elected body, the Councils and Assemblies were a mix of elected and appointed members.In 1969, A special committee of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories chose a new flag
Flag of Northwest Territories
The current flag of the Northwest Territories, Canada, was adopted in 1969 by the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories.Historically there have been four flags used in the territory since it joined confederation.-Hudson's Bay Company flag:...
for the territory. Robert Bessant
Robert Bessant
Robert Bessant is a farmer from Manitoba, Canada.Robert grew up in Margaret, Manitoba.Robert is best known for designing the current Flag of Northwest Territories in a 1969 nationwide contest by the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories. He designed the flag while he was still in his...
's design was chosen among entries to a Canada-wide contest.
The government would introduce the popular polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
license plate
US and Canadian license plates
In the United States, license plates are issued by an agency of the state or territorial government, and in the case of the District of Columbia the District government. Some Native American tribes also issue plates. The U.S. federal government issues plates only for its own vehicle fleet and for...
in 1970.
History 1999 - present
In April 1982, a majority of Northwest TerritoriesNorthwest 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...
residents voted in favour of a division of the area, and the federal government gave a conditional agreement seven months later. After a long series of land claim negotiations between the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is a nonprofit organization in Canada that represents over 50,400 Inuit. It was founded in 1971 by Tagak Curley as the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada...
and the federal government (begun earlier in 1976), an agreement was reached in September 1992. In June 1993, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act and the Nunavut Act were passed by the Canadian Parliament, and the transition to the new territory of Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
was completed on April 1, 1999.