Trails of our Ancestors: Building a Nation

For generations, the Tłı̨chǫ have travelled the trails of our homeland, guided by place names, stories, and the teachings of our Elders. Trails of our Ancestors: Building a Nation documents that journey and shows how travel on the land remains central to Tłı̨chǫ identity, governance, and nationhood.

The PDF below shows the seasonal cycle of life on the land. Tłı̨chǫ families moved by birchbark canoe to the barrenlands to harvest caribou, then returned below the treeline for winter. Knowledge was passed directly from Elders to youth through experience, language, and story. Place names carry law, memory, and instruction. The land itself is our archive.

As outside governments and institutions changed life in the North, the continuity of this land-based knowledge was disrupted. In response, leaders advanced two parallel paths: negotiating the Tłı̨chǫ Agreement and revitalizing traditional travel through the Trails of Our Ancestors canoe program. Beginning in the mid-1990s, youth and Elders paddled historic routes between Behchokǫ̀, Whatì, Gamètì, and Wekweètì. These journeys reconnected communities, revived language use, and strengthened intergenerational teaching.

The book traces how these canoe trips became symbolic and practical preparation for self-government. When the Tłı̨chǫ Agreement was initialed and later signed, many people travelled by canoe to witness those historic moments. The message was clear: governance is rooted in land, law, and lived knowledge.

Through chapters on archaeology, sacred sites, Yamôözha stories, and the Traditional Knowledge Program, the PDF below affirms that travel, place, and narrative form the foundation of Tłı̨chǫ law and identity. Building a Nation means carrying forward the teachings of our ancestors, strengthening language, and ensuring future generations remain connected to Tłı̨chǫ nèèk’è.

Read the Trails of our Ancestors in PDF here.