Hay River Reserve (also known as ''Kʼatlodeeche/Katlʼodeeche First Nation'' or ''Hay River Dene 1'') is one of only three Indian reservesList of Reserves/Settlements/Villages
/ref> in Canada's

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

. Located in the South Slave Region, it is a Slavey community with a population of 259, of which the majority are First Nations and some

Métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...

, at the

2021 Canadian census The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sl ...

, a 16.2% decrease from the

2016 census Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * ''Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film dir ...

. The main languages on the reserve are South Slavey, and English.Census Profile, 2016 Census Hay River Dene 1, Indian reserve (Census subdivision), Northwest Territories and Northwest Territories (Territory)
/ref> In 2017 the Government of the Northwest Territories reported that the population was 329, resulting in an average annual growth rate of 0.4% between 2007 and 2017. The reserve covers an area of and claims a band membership of 668 people. The reserve is governed by a Band Council, consisting of a Chief and four Counsellors, who are elected every two years on "Treaty Day". Along with the

Fort Providence Fort Providence ( den, Zhahti Koe, Zhahti Kue, lit=mission house) is a hamlet in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Located west of Great Slave Lake, it has all-weather road connections by way of the Yellowknife Highway ...

Dene Band the reserve operates "Evergreen Forestry Management Ltd." The reserve also runs the Ehdah Cho Store, "Tu-Cho Gha Contracting", and the "Nats’jee Keh Treatment Centre". Primary and secondary education in the community is provided by Chief Sunrise Education Centre.

History

Hay River Mission Northwest Territories Canada

Although the Dene had been using the area around the mouth of the

Hay River Hay River may refer to: Places * Hay River, Northwest Territories * Hay River, Wisconsin Rivers * Hay River (Wisconsin) * Hay River (Canada), a river in Alberta and Northwest Territories, Canada * Hay River, Northern Territory, Australia * Hay R ...

for many years as a fishing site it was not settled until the 1890s when Chief Chiatlo led a group to the site. Later both the

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

, with a mission school, and the Roman Catholic Church along with trading posts and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrived. However, the NWT Government says that the first building in the area was the Hudson's Bay Company, followed by the Roman Catholic Mission, and then the Anglican Mission. The original site was located right at the mouth of the river just east of Vale Island at Map of Vale Island
/ref> However, this site was subject to flooding and it was decided to move to a different area. The current site is located on the south shore of the

, near the mouth of Great Slave LakeTraditional Lands
/ref> In 1974 the then

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

, Daniel Sonfrere, negotiated a settlement with the Government of Canada and the first reserve in the NWT was formed. The site of the original mission buildings, including St. Peter's Anglican Church, Ste. Anne's Roman Catholic Church, the remains of a rectory, and associated cemeteries, was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1992, due to its association with the meeting of Dene and European cultures.

Gallery

File:Hay River Mission Site n-1979-004-00151.jpg, Hay River Mission site File:A view of the Hay River settlement from the Mission Boarding School, Northwest Territories, 1922 - Vue de Hay River a partir de la Mission, Territoires du -Nord-Ouest, 1922 (14112957702).jpg, A view of the Hay River settlement from the Mission Boarding School, 1922 File:Children on their way to school in Hay River, Northwest Territories, 1931 - Enfants en route pour l’école à Hay River (Territoires du Nord-Ouest), 1931 (13929401648).jpg, Children on their way to school in Hay River, 1931 File:St. Luke’s English Church Mission School, Hay River, Northwest Territories, 1922 - École missionnaire de l’Église anglicane St. Luke’s, Hay River (Territoires du Nord-Ouest), 1922 (14112742641).jpg, St. Luke's English Church Mission School, Hay River, 1922 File:Chief Sunrise Education Centre.jpg, Chief Sunrise Education Centre, 2004

Climate

Hay River has a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...

( Dfc) with mild to warm summers and long cold winters.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, Hay River Dene 1 had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Arts and culture

Hay River Reserve is the setting for a children's story called ''Smelly Socks''. The book was written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Michael Martchenko. Munsch created the story based on a little girl named Tina whom he met while visiting the reserve in 1984. The illustrations in the book were based on actual pictures of Tina and the community provided by local multimedia artist Frederick Lepine.

References