Saoyú and Ɂehdacho are two large peninsulas reaching into Sahtú (Great Bear Lake) just south of the Arctic Circle in the Northwest Territories. Designated a National Historic Site in 1997 and set aside as a protected area in 2008, Saoyú and Ɂehdacho are teaching, healing and spiritual places, essential to the cultural well-being of the Sahtúgot’ı̨nę — “the people of Sahtú.” Most Sahtúgot’ı̨nę now live in Délı̨nę, the only community on Sahtú.
The Elders of Délı̨nę say that the protection of Saoyú and Ɂehdacho is a responsibility given to the Sahtúgot’ı̨nę by their ancestors. It is through these places and the stories associated with them that the Elders pass on their knowledge: their history, values, laws, land use skills, land management practices and life-styles.
The 5,565 km2 site is cooperatively managed by the Délı̨nę Got’ı̨nę Government and Parks Canada.
Canada’s largest National Historic Site stretches across more than 5,500 square kilometres on the shore of Great Bear Lake, just south of the Arctic Circle. Ancestors of the Sahtúgot’įnę—“the people of the Sahtú”—charged them with protecting the two peninsulas of Saoyú and Ɂehdacho. Here, elders from the nearby community of Délįne share traditional Indigenous skills and stories with younger members, helping to sustain strong ties with their ancestral lands. Dedicated to teaching, healing and spirituality, the site was set aside as a protected area in 2008. Come explore trails and portages dating back countless generations.