Yellowknives Dene canvass traditional knowledge about Whitebeach Point

Members of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation met at Whitebeach Point on Thursday to discuss a plan to establish it as part of a larger territorial protected area.

It's is known as Dinaga Wek'ehodi. In the Tlicho language, it translates to "to be kept protected." The original proposal called for a 790-square-kilometre swath of land covering the north arm of Great Slave Lake.

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Though the Tlicho have taken the lead on negotiations, they are also consulting with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and the Northwest Territory MtisNation on the plan.

Fred Sangris is the community negotiator for the Yellowknives Dene.

"Whitebeach Point is a very long, sandy beach," he said. "It's also a very special place where Yellowknives used to go in the past."

Possible archeological, burial sites?

Sangris said his First Nation organized the full day workshop to update members on current plans for the protected area and gather feedback on where there's space for improvement.

He said the gathering was designed to bring to light "any additional information that we forgot ... such as archeological, or burial sites we were not aware of."

The Yellowknives Dene provided fuel for motorboats and a chartered plane to help people reach Whitebeach Point.

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"We weren't expecting a lot of people to come along, but the word got out," Sangris said.

As of two days before the workshop, 63 people had registered.

Johanne Black, lands manager for the Yellowknives Dene government, said conservation is a priority for the First Nation.

"We are interested in ensuring that, when it comes to conserving that area, it conserves it from development as well," she said. "Development meaning mining."

An ongoing process

Negotiations over Dinaga Wek'ehodi have been ongoing since 2010.

Last week, the Tlichogovernment held a community gathering at Whitebeach Point, designed to help reconnect people with Tlicho heritage and the land.

Meagan Wohlberg, who works for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the territorial government, said establishing Dinaga Wek'ehodi as a protected area requires a phased approach. She couldn't provide a time frame for when it would be complete.

She also stated that due to existing mining claims issued for Whitebeach Point, current legislation does not allow for it to be included in the future protected area.

Further consultations are expected to occur this fall.