Whether these decisions were influenced by divine intervention is a matter of opinion, but the outcomes were unequivocal. The ?utsël K’é Dene First Nation initialled two establishment agreements that formed the basis for conserving Thaidene Nëné — one with Parks Canada in 2013, the other with the Northwest Territories government in 2018 — stating that mining, oil and gas, mineral exploration, large-scale commercial fishing and large-scale hydroelectric projects will never be allowed inside a total protected area of 26,376 square kilometres, almost half the size of Nova Scotia.
A core area of 14,305 square kilometres is designated under the National Parks Act. The territorial government designated an additional adjacent 8,906 square kilometres as a protected area and 3,165 square kilometres as a wildlife conservation area where small-scale hydro development, quarrying and infrastructure corridors are allowed, but only to service the park or ?utsël K’é. All Indigenous rights to hunt, fish, trap, gather, travel and make cabins and trails remain intact.
The ?utsël K’é Dene First Nation voted overwhelmingly in favour of the agreements in February 2019, leading to an official signing ceremony in August of that year. Signatories to the new Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve include Canada, the Northwest Territories government, ?utsël K’é Dene First Nation, the Northwest Territory Métis Nation, the Deninu K’ue First Nation and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. Together with the adjacent Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, a pristine ecological system spanning more than 72,800 square kilometres is protected.
The most striking departure from past federal parks is that Thaidene Nëné will be co-managed by consensus through a board represented by federal, territorial and Indigenous governments. “Co-management is critically important,” Catherine McKenna, then federal minister of environment and climate change, said in an interview last August.
Ottawa has pledged $40 million over 12 years for infrastructure and operations of the park and $3.4 million annually after that, which will help support an anticipated 18 full-time jobs and beef up the work of the Ni Hat’Ni Dene Rangers. McKenna has said that if Canada is going to meet its target of protecting 17 per cent of its lands by 2020, “it needs to be through new partnerships with Indigenous people.”
Beyond government partnerships, Thaidene Nëné has received ongoing support from several conservation groups including Nature United, the Canadian affiliate of the environmental non-profit organization The Nature Conservancy. Tracey Williams is Nature United’s N.W.T. conservation lead. Her organization raised $15 million from its global network of donors, matched by the federal government, to create a $30-million Thaidene Nëné fund. “By using only the interest accrued, the money will ensure the ?utsël K’é Dene First Nation has enough funding to perpetually support its roles and responsibilities as a co-governing partner, something that’s very important to them,” Williams says.