Denendeh is the proposed name for the other half of Canada's Northwest Territories. On 1 April 1999 the territory of Nunavut was created in the eastern half of the territories, as a home primarily for the Inuit people.

The original plan was that at the same time the other half would become the territory of Denendeh, named for the Dene people ("Indians" as we used to say), who together with the Metis (those with both European and native ancestry) comprised the majority in the western half. However, the name Northwest Territories was temporarily retained in 1999. A referendum is planned on the new name and some other territorial symbols.

The idea of division into two halves was first mooted in the 1950s, because of the huge and ungovernable size of the combined territory. It gained impetus when Inuit territorial claims led to a 1976 proposal for the creation of Nunavut. The name Denendeh was proposed for the other half in 1981. A 1982 referendum endorsed the division of the Northwest Territories, but with much higher support on the Nunavut side.

Details extracted from boring governmental information at
http://www.assembly.gov.nt.ca/VisitorInformation/FactsAndGeneralInfo.html

The website www.denendeh.com has very little to do with this, but has a really impressive graphic on it, with an effect of your mouse cursor causing ripples across a native drum. Go and try it!

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