The risk of flooding in Salt River First Nation appears to have passed, said Chief David Poitras. The water levels on the Slave River were much higher than usual up until about a week ago, but have since significantly lowered, Poitras said. The high water levels were caused by an…
Wildfire season began in the NWT on May 1 and the GNWT is taking a proactive approach this year because conditions may change like a “light switch” for wildfires. Richard Olsen the manager of wildfire operations in the NWT held a briefing on May 4th and is predicting an “above…
Leaders from the Gwich’in Tribal Council (GTC) and Vuntut Gwitchin Government (VGG) are urging Canadian banks to follow their American counterparts in banning oil and gas exploration in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Last December, representatives from the GTC, VGG and the Yukon chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness…
More than a dozen fly-in communities across the Northwest Territories will be getting funding to make it easier for residents to harvest traditional food. The funding is coming from the Harvesters Support Grant, a new addition to Nutrition North. The grant provides $40 million over five years to Indigenous governments…
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has started culling wolves from helicopters. Department officials say the killing is to protect the declining Bluenose-East and Bathurst caribou herds. According to Joslyn Oosenburg, ENR communications officer, the aerial cull started on April 22. “We would have preferred to begin sooner, but…
Residents looking to get active outside while respecting physical distancing guidelines won’t be able to enjoy NWT parks a little longer. Over the Easter long weekend, the territorial Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment announced it is postponing the opening of territorial parks until further notice due to COVID-19. The…
Environment and Natural Resources Minister Shane Thompson, Lutsel k’e Dene First Nation Chief Darryl Marlowe and Tlicho Grand Chief George Mackenzie are calling for more responsible harvesting. ENR officers say the caribou were killed within the Mobile Bathurst Caribou Management Zone. They also found wasted meat from 12 caribou outside…
First Nations in the Northwest Territories will be getting just over $6 million, while the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation will be receiving $5.85 million to address coronavirus concerns. That funding is part of the $305 million dollars that the federal government announced last week specifically for Indigenous communities across Canada. A…
Indigenous Services Canada is supporting Indigenous residents going out on the land during the COVID-19 pandemic. It announced $2.6 million in funding that will flow through the territorial government to its Indigenous partners. In a news release, the federal government says the funding is to “support families who would not…
The Inuvik-based Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) is telling residents of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) that a team of reindeer herders will be out on the land working with the reindeer herd on a regular basis. The IRC adds that it doesn’t want any interference with the round-up and herding…