Tulita

Last updated

Tulita
Tulít’a
Tulita Street.jpg
NWT All Region Locator.svg
Red pog.svg
Tulita
Canada location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Tulita
Coordinates: 64°54′02″N125°34′35″W / 64.90056°N 125.57639°W / 64.90056; -125.57639 [1]
CountryCanada
Territory Northwest Territories
Region Sahtu
Settlement area Sahtu
Constituency Sahtu
Hamlet1 April 1984
Government
  MayorRocky Norwegian Sr.
  Senior Administrative OfficerBradley Menacho
   MLA Daniel McNeely
Area
 (2021) [2]
  Land52.28 km2 (20.19 sq mi)
Elevation
101 m (331 ft)
Population
 (2021) [2]
  Total396
  Density7.6/km2 (20/sq mi)
Time zone UTC−07:00 (MST)
  Summer (DST) UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Canadian Postal code
X0E 0K0
Area code 867
Telephone exchange 588
- Living cost177.5 A
- Food price index165.8 B
Sources:
Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, [3]
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, [4]
Tulita profile at the Legislative Assembly [5]
Canada Flight Supplement [6]
^A 2013 figure based on Edmonton = 100 [7]
^B 2015 figure based on Yellowknife = 100 [7]

Tulita,[ pronunciation? ] which in Slavey means "where the rivers or waters meet", is a hamlet in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It was formerly known as Fort Norman, until 1 January 1996. It is located at the junction of the Great Bear River and the Mackenzie River; the Bear originates at Great Bear Lake adjacent to Deline.

Contents

Tulita is in an area that is forested and well south of the tree line. Permafrost underlays the area, more or less continuous in distribution. Tulita is surrounded by mountains, the latter renowned for Dall sheep, and faces the Mackenzie Mountains to the west, which has mountain goats.

History

Fort Norman originated as a Hudson's Bay Company trading post in the 19th century and has occupied a number of geographical locations prior to the settling of the modern community. A post by the name of Fort Norman occupied several locations, on the Mackenzie River, on the islands within it, on Bear River, and on the shore of Great Bear Lake near the present location of Deline. Who the name 'Norman' commemorates is unclear, but it may have been either Alexander Norman McLeod or Archibald Norman McLeod, both of whom were prominent in the northwest in the early 19th century. [8]

Between 1863 and 1869, Fort Norman was located on Great Bear Lake, a short distance west of what later became Deline (Fort Franklin), and was an HBC post commanded by Nichol Taylor. Roman Catholic missionary Émile Petitot operated a small mission here during that period. In 1869, Nichol Taylor moved Fort Norman to its present position at the confluence of the Mackenzie and Bear Rivers. [9]

Fort Norman rose to importance during the 1920s oil staking rush along the Mackenzie River, 50 km (31 mi) downstream of the community, where oil was developed and marketed at what became known as Norman Wells. [10] It has also become a permanent settlement for predominately Sahtu Dene people on whose traditional land the original trading post was built. In 1996, the name of Fort Norman was officially changed to Tulita, which translates in Dene to "where the rivers or waters meet."

Demographics

Federal census population history of Tulita
YearPop.±%
1976232    
1981286+23.3%
1986332+16.1%
1991 375+13.0%
1996 450+20.0%
2001 473+5.1%
2006 505+6.8%
2011 478−5.3%
2016 477−0.2%
2021 396−17.0%
Source: Statistics Canada
[2] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]
Annual population estimates
YearPop.±%
1996468    
1997477+1.9%
1998473−0.8%
1999490+3.6%
2000493+0.6%
2001495+0.4%
2002509+2.8%
2003504−1.0%
2004505+0.2%
2005526+4.2%
2006524−0.4%
YearPop.±%
2007522−0.4%
2008521−0.2%
2009512−1.7%
2010519+1.4%
2011490−5.6%
2012496+1.2%
2013497+0.2%
2014502+1.0%
2015493−1.8%
2016515+4.5%
2017497−3.5%
Sources: NWT Bureau of Statistics (2001–2017) [19]

In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Tulita had a population of 396 living in 134 of its 160 total private dwellings, a change of

In 2016, the majority of the population was Indigenous being First Nations and Métis. The main languages are North Slavey and English with some Dene. [18] [5]

Transport and tourism

Tulita with the Mackenzie River Tulita.jpg
Tulita with the Mackenzie River

Tulita may be reached via air year-round, and is served by Tulita Airport; Norman Wells is the regional centre and the site of origin of the majority of flights in. A winter road links Tulita to Wrigley and thence the Mackenzie Highway, and is only open in mid- to late winter. Summer access is available by barge or by canoe, from Hay River along the Mackenzie River. The NWT government is seeking federal funding to extend the Mackenzie Highway from Wrigley through Tulita to Tsiigehtchic.

Amenities consist of a hotel, Northern Store, Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment, and a nursing station. [20] Chief Albert Wright School teaches grades K-12 while the hamlet has a library, arena, recreation hall, and fitness centre. [21]

First Nations

The Dene First Nations people of Tulita are represented by the Tulita Dene First Nation, a band government operating within the community. The TDFN is a member of the Sahtu Dene Council, joining the Behdzi Ahda' First Nation, Délı̨nę First Nation, and Fort Good Hope First Nation.

Treaty Indians from the community are party to the Sahtu Agreement, which gives them shared title to 41,437 square kilometers of land in the Sahtu Region. Under the Sahtu Agreement, self-government negotiations are ongoing in all five of the region's communities, but as of 2019 only Délı̨nę has successfully reached a Final Agreement. [22]

Notable people

Climate

Tulita experiences a subarctic climate (Koppen: Dfc) with generally mild to warm summers and cold winters with highs often well-below zero. Peak snowfall occurs in the months of October and November, while rainfall is limited to the warmer months.

Climate data for Tulita Airport
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high humidex 3.94.86.719.729.034.740.044.826.520.14.0−1.244.8
Record high °C (°F)5.6
(42.1)
8.3
(46.9)
15.0
(59.0)
20.6
(69.1)
31.7
(89.1)
34.4
(93.9)
36.9
(98.4)
34.6
(94.3)
28.5
(83.3)
22.8
(73.0)
8.3
(46.9)
3.0
(37.4)
36.9
(98.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)−21.7
(−7.1)
−19.1
(−2.4)
−11.5
(11.3)
0.7
(33.3)
12.4
(54.3)
20.9
(69.6)
22.7
(72.9)
19.2
(66.6)
10.3
(50.5)
−2.2
(28.0)
−14.5
(5.9)
−18.6
(−1.5)
−0.1
(31.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)−25.2
(−13.4)
−23.4
(−10.1)
−17.3
(0.9)
−5.3
(22.5)
6.6
(43.9)
14.9
(58.8)
17.1
(62.8)
14.1
(57.4)
6.2
(43.2)
−5.0
(23.0)
−17.8
(0.0)
−22.3
(−8.1)
−4.8
(23.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−28.7
(−19.7)
−27.6
(−17.7)
−23.0
(−9.4)
−11.3
(11.7)
0.7
(33.3)
8.9
(48.0)
11.5
(52.7)
9.0
(48.2)
2.1
(35.8)
−7.8
(18.0)
−20.7
(−5.3)
−25.9
(−14.6)
−9.4
(15.1)
Record low °C (°F)−53.9
(−65.0)
−54.4
(−65.9)
−50.0
(−58.0)
−40.0
(−40.0)
−23.9
(−11.0)
−5.6
(21.9)
−3.3
(26.1)
−7.8
(18.0)
−15.6
(3.9)
−32.8
(−27.0)
−49.0
(−56.2)
−53.3
(−63.9)
−54.4
(−65.9)
Record low wind chill −56.5−57.1−55.6−36.3−24.0−5.90.00.0−12.3−35.4−48.3−55.2−57.1
Average precipitation mm (inches)14.8
(0.58)
11.5
(0.45)
8.7
(0.34)
9.1
(0.36)
13.4
(0.53)
36.0
(1.42)
44.2
(1.74)
46.9
(1.85)
38.9
(1.53)
32.8
(1.29)
21.8
(0.86)
15.0
(0.59)
293.0
(11.54)
Average rainfall mm (inches)0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.7
(0.03)
9.8
(0.39)
35.9
(1.41)
44.2
(1.74)
46.9
(1.85)
36.5
(1.44)
2.7
(0.11)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
176.8
(6.96)
Average snowfall cm (inches)14.8
(5.8)
11.5
(4.5)
8.7
(3.4)
8.5
(3.3)
3.7
(1.5)
0.1
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
2.4
(0.9)
30.1
(11.9)
22.2
(8.7)
15.0
(5.9)
116.7
(45.9)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)7.15.75.83.94.77.69.19.18.69.48.98.388.1
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)0.00.00.00.33.57.69.19.17.61.50.10.038.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)7.15.75.83.71.20.10.00.00.98.18.98.349.7
Source: Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010 [23] [24]

In literature

See also

Related Research Articles

Wrigley is a "Designated Authority" in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The Slavey Dene community is located on the east bank of the Mackenzie River, just below its confluence with the Wrigley River and about 466 mi (750 km) northwest of Yellowknife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sahtu</span> Dene First Nations ethnic group

The Sahtú or North Slavey are a Dene First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group living in the vicinity of Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. The Sahtú peoples live in Colville Lake, Deline, Fort Good Hope, Norman Wells and Tulita which form the Sahtu Region of the NWT. The Dene of the region are represented by the Sahtu Dene Council who, in 1993, signed the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement. Sahtú groups include the Hare Dene, Bear Lake Dene, and Mountain Dene. They call themselves also Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨ne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsiigehtchic</span> Charter Community in Northwest Territories, Canada

Tsiigehtchic, officially the Charter Community of Tsiigehtchic, is a Gwich'in community located at the confluence of the Mackenzie and the Arctic Red Rivers, in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community was formerly known as Arctic Red River, until 1 April 1994. The Gwichya Gwich'in First Nation is located in Tsiigehtchic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Providence</span> Hamlet in Northwest Territories, Canada

Fort Providence is a hamlet in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Located west of Great Slave Lake, it has all-weather road connections by way of the Yellowknife Highway branch off the Mackenzie Highway, and the Deh Cho Bridge opened November 30, 2012, near Fort Providence over the Mackenzie. The bridge replaced the ice bridge and ferry, enabling year-round crossing of the river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dettah</span> Yellowknives Dene First Nation in Northwest Territories, Canada

Dettah, sometimes spelled incorrectly as Detah, is a First Nations community in the North Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Located just southeast of the capital of Yellowknife, it is a 6.5 km (4.0 mi) drive from that city by ice road across the north arm of Great Slave Lake in winter or a 27 km (17 mi) drive via the Ingraham Trail, year-round. The name T'é?ehdaá means 'Burnt Point' in the Wíílíídeh dialect and was simplified to Dettah when non-indigenous people couldnʼt pronounce it. The place was a common fishing spot for the Tetsǫ́tʼine (Yellowknives) people and is home to nearly 200 indigenous people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Wells</span> Town in Northwest Territories, Canada

Norman Wells is a town located in the Sahtu Region, Northwest Territories, Canada. The town, which hosts the Sahtu Regional office, is situated on the north side of the Mackenzie River and provides a view down the valley of the Franklin and Richardson mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Good Hope</span> Charter Community in Northwest Territories, Canada

Fort Good Hope, is a charter community in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located on a peninsula between Jackfish Creek and the east bank of the Mackenzie River, about 145 km (90 mi) northwest of Norman Wells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colville Lake, Northwest Territories</span> Settlement Corporation in Northwest Territories, Canada

Colville Lake is a settlement corporation located in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is located 50 km (31 mi) north of the Arctic Circle, on a lake of the same name, and is northeast of Norman Wells. This settlement is the administrative office of the Behdzi Ahda band government. The community is likely named for Hudson's Bay Company Governor Andrew Colvile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Liard</span> Hamlet in Northwest Territories, Canada

Fort Liard is a hamlet in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located 37 km (23 mi) north of the British Columbia border. It became accessible by road in 1984 with the completion of the Liard Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nahanni Butte</span> Place in Northwest Territories, Canada

Nahanni Butte is a "Designated Authority" in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is located at the confluence of the Liard and South Nahanni Rivers in the southwestern part of the NWT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Marie River</span> Place in Northwest Territories, Canada

Jean Marie River is a "Designated Authority" in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is located on the Jean Marie River where it joins the Mackenzie River. The community has a small airport, Jean Marie River Airport, and is accessible by charter aircraft throughout the year and by the all-season JMR Access Road 27 km (17 mi) from the Mackenzie Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sambaa K'e</span> Place in Northwest Territories, Canada

Sambaa K'e is a "Designated Authority" in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is located near the Alberta border, east of Fort Liard, on the shore of the lake also known as Sambaa K'e. It has no all-weather road, but can be reached by winter road early in the year or by air year-round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Behchokǫ̀</span> Community in Northwest Territories, Canada

Behchokǫ̀, officially the Tłı̨chǫ Community Government of Behchokǫ̀, is a community in the North Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Behchokǫ̀ is located on the Yellowknife Highway, on the northwest tip of Great Slave Lake, approximately 110 km (68 mi) northwest of Yellowknife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wekweètì</span> First Nation in Northwest Territories, Canada

Wekweètì, officially the Tłı̨chǫ Community Government of Wekweètì is a community in the North Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Wekweètì is a Tłı̨chǫ aboriginal community and is located 195 km (121 mi) north of Yellowknife. It has no year-round road access but does have a winter ice road connection; the majority of transportation to and from the community is through the Wekweètì Airport. Wekweètì is the closest community to the Ekati Diamond Mine on the border with Nunavut. Wekweètì is part of the Tlicho Government.

Kakisa is a "Designated Authority" in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is located on Kakisa Lake, and is southeast of Fort Providence. Originally located at Tathlina Lake, the community moved, in 1962, to the present location in order to be closer to the Mackenzie Highway and is linked by a 13 km (8.1 mi) all-weather road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sahtu Region</span> Administrative region in Northwest Territories, Canada

The Sahtu Region is an administrative region in Canada's Northwest Territories. Coterminous with the settlement region described in the 1993 Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, 41,437 km2 (15,999 sq mi) of the Sahtu is collectively owned by its Indigenous Sahtu (Dene) and Métis inhabitants. Although the region's population is predominantly First Nations, a significant non-Indigenous presence exists in Norman Wells, the regional office, established in 1920 to serve the only producing oilfield in the Canadian Territories. Considered to be of vital strategic importance during World War II in the event of a Japanese invasion of Alaska, the region's petroleum resources were exploited by the United States Army with the Canol pipeline, but the project never became necessary and ultimately operated for less than one year.

The Sahtu Dene Council is a council that represents the Sahtu people of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The council signed a comprehensive land claim agreement in 1993 with the Government of Canada, the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, for the seven Dene and Métis communities in the Sahtu Region. It is the first such agreement to include three Métis members in the Northwest Territories. The Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated and various designated organizations implement the agreement and pursue ongoing negotiations. The Sahtu Dene Council represents the four Indian Band councils.

The Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, is a comprehensive lands claim agreement between The Crown in the right of Canada and the Dene and Métis of the Sahtu area in the Northwest Territories. The agreement was signed by the Chiefs of the Sahtu Dene bands, the presidents of the Metis Locals, the Minister of Indian Affairs, and the Premier of the Northwest Territories on September 6, 1993, in Tulita and came into effect on June 23, 1994. The agreement is a Modern Treaty which is protected by Section 35 of the Constitution of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Délı̨nę</span> Charter Community in Northwest Territories, Canada

The Charter Community of Délı̨nę is located in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada, on the western shore of Great Bear Lake and is 544 km (338 mi) northwest of Yellowknife. Délı̨nę means "where the waters flow", a reference to the headwaters of the Great Bear River, Sahtúdé. It is the only settlement on the shores of Great Bear Lake as Fort Confidence was last used in the 1800s and Port Radium closed in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Region 2, Northwest Territories</span>

Region 2 is the name of a Statistics Canada census division, one of six in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It was introduced in the 2011 census, along with Regions 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6, resulting in the abolition of the former census divisions of Fort Smith Region and Inuvik Region. Unlike in some other provinces, census divisions do not reflect the organization of local government in the Northwest Territories. These areas exist solely for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government of their own.

References

  1. "Tulita". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Northwest Territories". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  3. "NWT Communities - Tulita". Government of the Northwest Territories: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  4. "Northwest Territories Official Community Names and Pronunciation Guide". Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre . Yellowknife: Education, Culture and Employment, Government of the Northwest Territories. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Tuktoyaktuk profile". Assembly.gov.nt.ca. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013.
  6. Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
  7. 1 2 Tulita - Statistical Profile at the GNWT
  8. Fort Norman: History of H.B.C. Post on the Mackenzie River. The Beaver, July 1922.
  9. Petitot, Emile Travels Around Great Slave and Great Bear Lakes, 1862-1882. Toronto: The Champlain Society, 2005.
  10. The Story of the Fort Norman Oil Well, The Edmonton Bulletin, 5 March 1921
  11. "1981 Census of Canada: Census subdivisions in decreasing population order" (PDF). Statistics Canada. May 1992. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  12. "1986 Census: Population - Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions" (PDF). Statistics Canada. September 1987. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  13. "91 Census: Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1992. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  14. "96 Census: A National Overview - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1997. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  15. "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Subdivisions (Municipalities), 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  16. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  17. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  19. Population Estimates By Community from the GNWT
  20. Tulita Infrastructure Profile
  21. "Tulita Land Corporation". tulitalandcorp. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  22. "First Nation Detail". Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada . Government of Canada. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  23. "Tulita A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201700. Archived from the original (CSV (3069 KB)) on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  24. "Daily Data Report for July 2023". Environment and Climate Change Canada. Retrieved 3 August 2023.