Dene Researchers Use Traditional Knowledge to Save Bathurst Caribou

The Bathurst caribou herd in Canada's Northwest Territories has plummeted from nearly half a million animals in the 1980s to fewer than 4,000 today. Researchers are investigating whether diamond mine infrastructure, climate change, and increased predator activity are the primary drivers of this collapse. The Indigenous-led program Ekwǫ̀ Nàxoèhdee K’è combines traditional Dene tracking with Western science to monitor habitat health. By integrating ancestral knowledge with modern research, the initiative aims to identify the specific industrial and environmental pressures threatening the remaining herd.