The Hub is centred in Nı́o Nę P’ęnę́ (NNP) – the backbone of the mountains in the Sahtú Region of NWT and gathering place of caribou populations – and will enable the Shúhtaot’ı̨nę and Métıs of Tulı́t’a and Norman Wells to maintain and strengthen relationships radiating in three directions. 1. A northern node, encompassing the neighbouring Sahtú community of Fort Good Hope Shı́hta Got’ı̨nę (Mountain Dene), the mountain regions of the newly established Ts’udé Nılı̨né Tuyeta Protected Area, and Gwich’in communities as represented by the Gwich’in Tribal Council (GTC), and Nacho Nyak Dun (Mayo, Yukon). 2. A central node, encompassing the longstanding community relationships between Tulı́t’a, Norman Wells and Tu Łıdlını (Ross River) Dena. 3. A southern node, encompassing Nahanni and Náats’ı̨hch’oh National Park Reserves, and relationships with Dehcho First Nation communities. The NNP Hub will embrace dialogue with other place hubs, especially on topics of common interest with Kaska, Dene, and Blackfoot peoples in the West Central and Southwest Interiors. The NNP Hub is structured by ancient trails across northwestern mountain landscapes that intertwine cold climate families, nations, wildlife, and water flows first disrupted by the imposition of colonial boundaries and governance systems, and then counterposed by modern treaties and Indigenous governance systems. These mountain landscapes, home to people, caribou and other wildlife, are now impacted in drastic ways by climate change and socio-economic pressures.
