Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories has been part of Canada since July 15, 1870. These lands were acquired from the Hudson's Bay Company and Great Britain.
Large portions were then sliced off to form the provinces of Manitoba (1870), Saskatchewan (1905) and Alberta (1905), as well as the territories of Yukon (1898) and Nunavut (1999). Other parts of the Northwest Territories were appended to Manitoba (1880, 1912), Ontario (1912) and Quebec (1912).
The first white people arrived in the territories around the end of the eighteenth century as a result of the northward expansion of the fur trade, and trading posts were established in the Mackenzie River Valley in the early-nineteenth century.
Researchers interested in ancestors who lived in the Northwest Territories use the main types of genealogical sources.
The official provincial government Web site [www.gov.nt.ca/] contains useful information about the province and its historic records.
The Northwest Territories Archives is the main repository of official records pertaining to the Territories' history. Particular attention should be paid to oral history records (sound recordings) and records dealing with the Aboriginal Peoples, the fur trade and the mining industry, which can be sources of genealogical information.
The Northwest Territories Archival Network [www.aabc.bc.ca/WWW.nwt.archnw/access] gives you access to other important resources held in many archives.
Many libraries hold reference books, local histories, family histories and other books on genealogy. Library and Archives Canada allows you to Browse Lists of Canadian Library Web Sites and Catalogues by province.
Each province and territory has its own GenWeb [www.rootsweb.com/%7Ewebsites/international/canada.html] site where you can access many databases and obtain information on resources available in each province.
The Canadian Encyclopedia Online [www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/] allows you to learn more about the history, geography and people of the Northwest Territories.
The sections on Sources by Topic and Links of this site can provide more useful information about how to do genealogical research in the Northwest Territories. You can also access databases from our Directory of Canadian Genealogical Resources - AVITUS.
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