Ehdaa National Historic Site of Canada is the traditional Dene meeting place on the flats at the southwestern end of Fort Simpson Island.
From the fur trade period, the site remains important to the Liidlii Kue Dene who renew their ongoing connection to the place with seasonal celebrations at the Drum Circle.
The Dene gathered here during their seasonal rounds to allocate land use, arrange marriages, resolve disputes through the Council of the Elders, hold puberty rites, undertake ceremonies of healing and thanksgiving, and trade goods, knowledge and technique.
The site contains facilities built for the 1987 visit of Pope John Paul II.
Photo: Culture and Communications, Government of the Northwest Territories
