Behchokǫ̀

History

This area was territory of Dene peoples for thousands of years prior to European contact.

English explorer Samuel Hearne was the first European to encounter Dogrib-speaking people. In 1772 he was crossing their lands north of Great Slave Lake. Later, in 1789, trader Alexander Mackenzie traveled by canoe very close to their territory while trading with the Yellowknives, another First Nations people, along the north arm of the big lake.

The first trading post in this region was at the entrance of Yellowknife Bay, established in 1789 by the North West Company, a post known as Old Fort Providence. It was established for the benefit of both the Yellowknives and Dogrib Dene but it was not a significant trading centre and closed in 1823.

The Dogrib Dene were required to enter into trade with Hudson's Bay Company posts on the south side of Great Slave Lake at Fort Resolution at the mouth of the Slave River. Historically, the Dogrib and the Yellowknives Dene have quarrelled over territory and resources. By the 1830s, Edzo, the Dogrib leader, and Akaitcho, the Yellowknives leader, made peace. Afterwards, the Dogrib returned to their traditional hunting grounds in the north.

Fort Rae was first established in 1852 by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) on a prominent peninsula on the north shore of the north arm of Great Slave Lake as a wintering provision post. It was named for Scotsman explorer John Rae, who was among the explorers looking for remains of Sir John Franklin's expedition in the Arctic. It became an important trading post for the Dogrib Dene.

In the early 20th century, free traders penetrated a monopoly previously held by the HBC. Ed Nagle and Jack Hislop opened a new trading post at the very northern tip of the north arm where Marian Lake connects to Great Slave Lake. As this location was much closer to many of the Dene families living on the land, it became their area of choice for trade. The HBC abandoned the old Fort Rae and set up a post next to Hislop and Nagle.

As the community grew alongside increased services such as a mission-run hospital and church, the government viewed the topography of Fort Rae as unsuitable for expansion. In the 1950s they were concerned about runoff from animal and human wastes contaminating sources of drinking water, and the government proposed constructing a new settlement on more favourable terrain. The community became known as Edzo and was located on the west side of the Frank Channel opposite Fort Rae, a 24 km drive away. Most of the Dene families refused to move from their community, so Rae () and Edzo () (Rae-Edzo) became two separate communities although they were administered together.

The name Rae-Edzo was changed 4 August 2005 to Behchokǫ̀. The biggest names in Tłı̨chǫ history are Edzo, Bruneau, and Monfwi. All men were Dogrib chiefs at important periods in their cultural history; Edzo signed the peace pact with the Yellowknives Dene in the 1820s, Jimmy Bruneau was a long-standing chief in the 20th century, and Monfwi signed Treaty 11 with the Canadian Government in 1921 and created the Tłı̨chǫ annual assembly in 1932.

Before 2005 the community was unincorporated, and most local governance was provided by a First Nations band government, Dog Rib Rae First Nation. Under the terms of the Tłı̨chǫ Agreement, most responsibilities of Dog Rib Rae have been transferred to the Behchokǫ̀ Community Government. However, the First Nation is still recognized by the federal government for Indian Act enrollment.

Demographics

|1971|1081 |1976|1158 |1981|1378 |1986|1378 |1991|1521 |1996|1662 |2001|1702 |2006|1894 |2011|1926 |2016|1874 |2021|1746

|1996|1764 |1997|1755 |1998|1759 |1999|1755 |2000|1765 |2001|1785 |2002|1818 |2003|1870 |2004|1881 |2005|1936 |2006|1974 |2007|1983 |2008|1999 |2009|1993 |2010|1985 |2011|2021 |2012|2027 |2013|2024 |2014|2055 |2015|2109 |2016|2183 |2017|2227 In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Behchokò had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 74.96 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Ethnicity

According to the 2016 Census the Indigenous population was made up of 1,695 First Nations and 50 Métis people. Behchokǫ̀ was the site of the signing of the Tłı̨chǫ land claim agreement that brought about the Tlicho Government.

Transportation

The main street within Behchokǫ̀ is Donda Tili, which connects to the Yellowknife Highway and then to either Yellowknife or south to Fort Providence and southern Canada. Three ice roads are available during winter to connect to Gamètì, Wekweètì and Whatì to the north and west.

The closest major public airport is Yellowknife Airport via an hour drive east. Nearby Rae/Edzo Airport is a private airport.

Services

Religious

• Tlicho Baptist Church
• St Michael's Catholic Church

Community

• Elizabeth Mackenzie Elementary School in Rae (K-6)
• Chief Jimmy Bruneau School in Edzo (K-12)
• Kǫ̀ Gocho Complex - recreation centre
• Behchokǫ̀ Cultural Centre - community centre
• Tłı̨chǫ Friendship Centre

Government

• Tłı̨chǫ Government Main Office
• N.W.T. Housing Corporation - public housing
• Municipal Services - sewage, water, public works
• Fire Department - volunteer service with two fire stations located in nearby Rae and Edzo
• Policing - local Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment
• EMS - located at Mary Adele Bishop Health Centre with one ambulance

Medical

There is no hospital in town; the nearest is Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife and only basic health services are provided by Mary Adele Bishop Health Centre. The local dental clinic is private and there is a Mental Health and Addictions Services centre.

Housing issues

Behchokǫ̀ has been facing a long term and chronic housing crisis due to multiple issues: insufficient funding for affordable units, disrepair of existing housing stock and inability of many living in public housing to pay rent.

Notes

References

References

1. (August 4, 2005). "Tlicho Community Government Act, S.N.W.T. 2004, c.7". Government of the Northwest Territories.
2. {{MACANT. behchokǫ̀. Behchokǫ̀. 2017-10-29
3. "Northwest Territories Official Community Names and Pronunciation Guide". Education, Culture and Employment, Government of the Northwest Territories.
4. {{CFS
5. "Behchoko - Statistical Profile (2006-2017)". NWT Bureau of Statistics.
6. (2003). "Tłı̨chǫ Agreement". Queen's Printer for Canada.
7. [http://www.maca.gov.nt.ca/resources/Differences_in_Comm_Govt_Structure.pdf Differences in Community Government Structures]
8. [https://www.statsnwt.ca/community-data/infrastructure/Behchoko.html NWT Bureau of Statistics - Behchokǫ̀]
9. Communities ''Economic Reference Library; Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment''. pg 181.(2006).
10. Zinovich, Jordan. "Battling the Bay: The Turn of the Century Adventures of Fur Trader Ed Nagle." Edmonton: Lone Pine Publishing, 1992.
11. Grainge, Jack. "The Changing North: Recollections of an early environmentalist." Edmonton: Canadian Circumpolar Institute Press, 1999.
12. (June 1977). "1976 Census of Canada: Population - Geographic Distributions". [[Statistics Canada]].
13. (May 1992). "1981 Census of Canada: Census subdivisions in decreasing population order". [[Statistics Canada]].
14. (September 1987). "1986 Census: Population - Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions". [[Statistics Canada]].
15. (April 1992). "91 Census: Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions - Population and Dwelling Counts". [[Statistics Canada]].
16. (April 1997). "96 Census: A National Overview - Population and Dwelling Counts". [[Statistics Canada]].
17. (July 4, 2012). "Population and Dwelling Count Amendments". [[Statistics Canada]].
18. (August 20, 2021). "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Northwest Territories)". [[Statistics Canada]].
19. (July 25, 2021). "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Northwest Territories)". [[Statistics Canada]].
20. (February 8, 2017). "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Northwest Territories)". [[Statistics Canada]].
21. [https://www.statsnwt.ca/population/population-estimates/commtotals_2001-2017.xlsx Population Estimates By Community] from the GNWT
22. (February 9, 2022). "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Northwest Territories". [[Statistics Canada]].
23. One of the four Tłı̨chǫ communities, it is the largest Dene community in Canada.[http://www.tlicho.ca/communities/Behchoko Behchokǫ̀] {{Webarchive. link. (2019-07-31 . Although the Saskatchewan community of La Loche is listed with a populatipn of 2611 in 2011 with more than 95% of the population Dene speaking by Wikipedia. at the Tłı̨chǫ First Nations site)
24. [http://www.gov.nt.ca/MAA/newsreleases/tlicho_land_claim.htm Government of the NWT news release on land claims signing] {{webarchive. link. (February 12, 2009)
25. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. (2022-10-26). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population".
26. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. (2021-10-27). "Census Profile, 2016 Census".
27. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. (2015-11-27). "NHS Profile".
28. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. (2019-08-20). "2006 Community Profiles".
29. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. (2019-07-02). "2001 Community Profiles".
30. "Winter Roads".
31. [http://cjbs.tlicho.ca/about-cjbs About Chief Jimmy Bruneau Regional High School]
32. "Behchoko fire truck sent for repairs".
33. [http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/detach/en/d/345#Behchoko Behchoko detachment Northwest Territories]
34. "Local boost for Behchoko health care services".
35. [http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/evicted-and-homeless-housing-behchoko-reaction-1.3858684 Evicted and homeless: housing crisis in Behchoko, N.W.T. has no easy solutions]