Welcome to the community of Wekweètì, Northwest Territories, Canada. Set on rolling rock above the Snare River. Formally known as Snare Lake, the name was officially changed under the Tłįcho agreement to Wekweètì in 2005.
Wekweètì was founded in the 1960s when Tłįcho elder and former chief Alexis Arrowmaker brought several families from Behchokö who wanted a more traditional lifestyle. Now accessible by scheduled flights to Yellowknife or by an ice road highway, built across the tundra and frozen lakes from January through March.
Wekweetì is the closest community to the region’s main power supply - hydro dams and powerhouses on the Snare River. The newest of these is owned by Dogrib Power Corporation, a Tłįcho Investment Corporation business.
There’s a small hotel, and the development corporation offers outfitting services. There’s good fishing nearby and good hiking near the northern edge of the treeline, close to the Barrenlands. The 200,000 strong Bathurst caribou herd passes through this area on its way north in spring and south in fall.
There’s also an historic site nearby, dating from the search for the Northwest Passage. Explorer Sir John Franklin wintered here, almost 200 years ago, on his return from a disastrous trip overland to the Arctic Coast.
Alcohol is prohibited here by community plebiscite.
Taken from the NWT Bureau of Statistic
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Population (2007)
143 |
Primary Language (2004)
94% speak Tłįcho
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Traditional Activities (2003) 64.2% Hunting & Fishing 19.3% Trapping 63.9% Consuming Country Foods |
