Tulita

| population_as_of = 2021

| population_footnotes = <br>Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre,<br>Tulita profile at the Legislative Assembly<br>2013 figure based on Edmonton = 100<br>2015 figure based on Yellowknife = 100

Between 1863 and 1869, Fort Norman was located on Great Bear Lake, a short distance west of what later became Deline (Fort Franklin), and was an HBC post commanded by Nichol Taylor. Roman Catholic missionary Émile Petitot operated a small mission here during that period. In 1869, Nichol Taylor moved Fort Norman to its present position at the confluence of the Mackenzie and Bear Rivers.

Fort Norman rose to importance during the 1920s oil staking rush along the Mackenzie River, downstream of the community, where oil was developed and marketed at what became known as Norman Wells. It has also become a permanent settlement for predominately Sahtu Dene people on whose traditional land the original trading post was built. In 1996, the name of Fort Norman was officially changed to Tulita, which translates in Dene to "where the rivers or waters meet."

Demographics

In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Tulita had a population of 396 living in of its 160 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 477. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

In 2016, the majority of the population was Indigenous being First Nations and Métis. The main languages are North Slavey and English with some Dene.

Transport and tourism

thumb|left|Tulita with the [[Mackenzie River]]

Tulita may be reached via air year-round, and is served by Tulita Airport; Norman Wells is the regional centre and the site of origin of the majority of flights in. A winter road links Tulita to Wrigley and thence the Mackenzie Highway, and is only open in mid- to late winter. Summer access is available by barge or by canoe, from Hay River along the Mackenzie River. The NWT government is seeking federal funding to extend the Mackenzie Highway from Wrigley through Tulita to Tsiigehtchic.

Amenities consist of a hotel, Northern Store, Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment, and a nursing station. Chief Albert Wright School teaches grades K-12 while the hamlet has a library, arena, recreation hall, and fitness centre.

First Nations

The Dene First Nations people of Tulita are represented by the Tulita Dene First Nation, a band government operating within the community. The TDFN is a member of the Sahtu Dene Council, joining the Behdzi Ahda' First Nation, Délı̨nę First Nation, and Fort Good Hope First Nation.

Treaty Indians from the community are party to the Sahtu Agreement, which gives them shared title to 41,437 square kilometers of land in the Sahtu Region. Under the Sahtu Agreement, self-government negotiations are ongoing in all five of the region's communities, but as of 2019 only Délı̨nę has successfully reached a Final Agreement.

Notable people

Leslie Nielsen lived here while his father was stationed with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Gallery

Climate

Tulita experiences a subarctic climate (Köppen: Dfc) with generally mild to warm summers and winters with averages below . Peak snowfall occurs in the months of October and November, while rainfall is limited to the warmer months.

In literature

The outpost of Fort Norman is featured in James A. Michener's 1989 novel Journey in which the character of Lord Luton seeks information there in the winter of 1897