Ni Hat’ni Dene is a network of Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation members,
​young and old, who serve as the stewards of Thaidene Nëné.​

Ni Hat’ni Dene means watchers of the land in Dënesųłıné yatıé. Ni Hat'ni Dene are the stewards of Thaidene Nëné. They assert the Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation's Indigenous rights and authority in Thaidene Nëné through their presence and activities on the land and water. Ni Hat’ni Dene crews practice a traditional subsistence lifestyle, maintaining the integrity of cultural sites, conducting environmental monitoring, and interacting with visitors to Thaidene Nëné. 

Overseen by the Ni Hat'ni Dene coordinator, there are currently four full-time guardians.

Program Goals:

• Maintain the integrity of cultural sites and the natural beauty within Thaidene Nëné.
• Welcome visitors and offer interpretation of the area. 
• Monitor and document visitor activity, cultural features, and the land and wildlife. 
• Transmit cultural and scientific knowledge to younger generations.

In July 2022, documentary filmmaker Christine Lin and a film crew visited Thaidene Nëné to document the work of Ni Hat'ni Dene. The project received support from National Geographic and the Audubon Society. Watchers of the Land premiered at the Yellowknife International Film Festival in October 2023.

Watch Watchers of the Land

Ni Hat’ni Dene On the Land

Since time immemorial, Ni Hat’ni Dene have been caring for Thaidene Nëné. A formal guardian program was started in 2008. In the beginning, the guardian were posted at important sites within Thaidene Nëné during the summer months, including Kaché (Fort Reliance), the heart of Thaidene Nëné, and the gateways to Thaidene Nëné: Kałdële (Talthelei Narrows) and Pekanatui Point. Eventually, Ni Hat’ni Dene were tasked with monitoring caribou and harvesting in the winter months. As of January 2020, Ni Hat'ni Dene is a full-time year-round program. 

The Ni Hat'ni Dene program builds the capacity of our people to monitor environmental change, communicate with Thaidene Nëné  users, and maintain strong records, including water quality and fish sampling data. Our responsibilities will only increase as implementation advances and we carry out our vision as Łutsël K’é Dene for stewardship of Thaidene Nëné.

Ni Hat'ni Dene Winter Patrol

Youth Program

An important responsibility of Ni Hat’ni Dene guardians is the transmission of knowledge to younger generations through the program’s youth internship program. Each summer, interns aged 18-24 join crews led by senior guardians. As they spend time on the land and water, interns learn about navigation, harvesting, reading the weather, language, and safety in the Dene way. In other words, they learn by doing. They also hone leadership and problem-solving skills, and they exercise reciprocity by sharing their own expertise—about technology, data recording, spreadsheets, etc.—with the senior guardians. This intergenerational transfer of knowledge ensures our rights and responsibilities as Łutsël K’é Dene in the stewardship of Thaidene Nëné will continue to be recognized and exercised into the future.

Through the program, young people develop a solid understanding of their role and responsibility as stewards of Thaidene Nëné, and they build skills that will prepare them for jobs. Former interns have gone on to become full-time guardians, location scouts, interpretative guides, environmental monitors, ship captains, and government employees. The internship experience helped these young people build their: interest in a career on the land and water, pride in who they are, and confidence that they can play an important role in caring for and governing their territory.

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