Tuktut Nogait National Park
Encyclopedia
Tuktut Nogait National Park (sometimes spelled Tuktuk Nogait) is a national park
located in the Northwest Territories
of Canada
. Meaning "young caribou
" in Inuvialuktun
, the park contains many herds of caribou. However, it is also the home to other wildlife
species, such as Musk Ox
, Grizzly Bear
s, Arctic char
, and the Grey Wolf
. Tuktut Nogait is also a major breeding and nesting ground for a wide variety of migratory
birds. Raptor
s such as Peregrine Falcon
s, Rough-legged Hawk
s, Gyr Falcons and Golden Eagle
s nest along the steep walls of river canyons. The main rivers that run through the park include the Hornaday River
and Roscoe River
.
The park encompasses 16,340 square kilometres and is located 170 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle
in the northeast corner of mainland Northwest Territories.
Humans have occupied Tuktut Nogait since AD
1000 and recent surveys have identified over 360 archaeological sites in the park. The oldest known archaeological sites are most likely Thule
or Copper Inuit
ranging from AD 1200 to 1500. Father Émile Petitot
was the first European to reach the area in 1867-68. In 1930, the Hudson's Bay Company
established an outpost at Letty Harbour but the post was closed in 1937 due to insufficient trade. In 1935, a Roman Catholic Mission
was located at Paulatuk
and operated a small trading post there until 1954. The Inuit who came to Paulatuk and the Darnley Bay
area were primarily Mackenzie
and Alaska
n Inuit
from the west. In 1955, most people abandoned the Paulatuk mission and moved to Cape Parry where a Distant Early Warning
(DEW) line site was being built, which meant seasonal construction and permanent wage labour work.
As is outlined in the Inuvialuit Final Agreement and the Tuktut Nogait Agreement, Inuvialuit
beneficiaries have the right to pursue subsistence harvesting within the park. Currently, this takes place in the north-western part of the park and mostly entails fishing Arctic char, hunting caribou, and some trapping. By federal national parks legislation, commercial or sport hunting is not permitted.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
located in 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...
of 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...
. Meaning "young caribou
Barren-ground Caribou
Barren-ground Caribou is a subspecies of the caribou that is found mainly in the Canadian territories Nunavut and the Northwest Territories and western Greenland. It sometimes includes the similar porcupine caribou, in which case the barren-ground caribou also is found in Alaska...
" in Inuvialuktun
Inuvialuktun
Inuvialuktun, or Western Canadian Inuit language, Western Canadian Inuktitut, Western Canadian Inuktun comprises three Inuit dialects spoken in the northern Northwest Territories by those Canadian Inuit who call themselves Inuvialuk .Inuvialuktun is spoken by the Inuit of the Mackenzie River delta...
, the park contains many herds of caribou. However, it is also the home to other wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
species, such as Musk Ox
Musk Ox
The muskox is an Arctic mammal of the family Bovidae, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males, from which its name derives. This musky odor is used to attract females during mating season...
, Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
s, Arctic char
Arctic char
Arctic char or Arctic charr is both a freshwater and saltwater fish in the Salmonidae family, native to Arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes and coastal waters. No other freshwater fish is found as far north. It is the only species of fish in Lake Hazen, on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic...
, and the Grey Wolf
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
. Tuktut Nogait is also a major breeding and nesting ground for a wide variety of migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
birds. Raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
s such as Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
s, Rough-legged Hawk
Rough-legged Buzzard
The Rough-legged Buzzard , called the Rough-legged Hawk in North America, is a medium-large bird of prey. It is found in Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia during the breeding season and migrates south for the winter.The species exhibits a wide variety of plumage patterns...
s, Gyr Falcons and Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
s nest along the steep walls of river canyons. The main rivers that run through the park include the Hornaday River
Hornaday River
Hornaday River is a waterway located above the Arctic Circle on the mainland of Northern Canada....
and Roscoe River
Roscoe River
The Roscoe River is a waterway located above the Arctic Circle on the mainland of Northern Canada.It originates at in western Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut, northwest of Bluenose Lake...
.
The park encompasses 16,340 square kilometres and is located 170 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
in the northeast corner of mainland Northwest Territories.
Humans have occupied Tuktut Nogait since AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
1000 and recent surveys have identified over 360 archaeological sites in the park. The oldest known archaeological sites are most likely Thule
Thule people
The Thule or proto-Inuit were the ancestors of all modern Inuit. They developed in coastal Alaska by AD 1000 and expanded eastwards across Canada, reaching Greenland by the 13th century. In the process, they replaced people of the earlier Dorset culture that had previously inhabited the region...
or Copper Inuit
Copper Inuit
Copper Inuit are a Canadian Inuit group who live north of the tree line, in Nunavut's Kitikmeot Region and the Northwest Territories's Inuvik Region. Most historically lived in the area around Coronation Gulf, on Victoria Island, and southern Banks Island.Their western boundary was Wise Point,...
ranging from AD 1200 to 1500. Father Émile Petitot
Émile Petitot
Father Émile-Fortuné Petitot Father Émile-Fortuné Petitot (also known as Émile-Fortuné-Stanislas-Joseph Petitot) Father Émile-Fortuné Petitot (also known as Émile-Fortuné-Stanislas-Joseph Petitot) (Inuk name, Mitchi Pitchitork Tchikraynarm iyoyé, meaning "Mr...
was the first European to reach the area in 1867-68. In 1930, the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson'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...
established an outpost at Letty Harbour but the post was closed in 1937 due to insufficient trade. In 1935, a Roman Catholic Mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
was located at Paulatuk
Paulatuk, Northwest Territories
Paulatuk is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located adjacent to Darnley Bay, in the Amundsen Gulf...
and operated a small trading post there until 1954. The Inuit who came to Paulatuk and the Darnley Bay
Darnley Bay
Darnley Bay is a large inlet in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is a southern arm of the Amundsen Gulf. The bay measures long, and wide at its mouth.The Parry Peninsula is to the west and Halcro Point is to the east...
area were primarily Mackenzie
Mackenzie (electoral district)
Mackenzie was a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1997.This riding was created in 1903, when Saskatchewan was still a part of the Northwest Territories...
and Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
from the west. In 1955, most people abandoned the Paulatuk mission and moved to Cape Parry where a Distant Early Warning
Distant Early Warning Line
The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the North Coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska, in addition to the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland...
(DEW) line site was being built, which meant seasonal construction and permanent wage labour work.
As is outlined in the Inuvialuit Final Agreement and the Tuktut Nogait Agreement, Inuvialuit
Inuvialuit
The Inuvialuit or Western Canadian Inuit are Inuit people who live in the western Canadian Arctic region. They, like all other Inuit, are descendants of the Thule who migrated eastward from Alaska...
beneficiaries have the right to pursue subsistence harvesting within the park. Currently, this takes place in the north-western part of the park and mostly entails fishing Arctic char, hunting caribou, and some trapping. By federal national parks legislation, commercial or sport hunting is not permitted.
See also
- National Parks of Canada
- List of National Parks of Canada
- List of Northwest Territories parks