Whatì-Behchokǫ̀ snowmobile trip ‘preserves a tradition’

To some people, the advent of an all-season highway connecting Whatì to Behchokǫ̀ means even snowmobile rides are taking on the air of a bygone activity.

Shaun Moosenose said his friends couldn’t even remember the last group ride from Whatì southeast to Behchokǫ̀, a straight-line distance of some 75 kilometres.

Even before NWT Highway 9 opened in late 2021, that kind of ride was taking place less frequently, Moosenose recalled.

“People hardly ever travel by snow machines any more, even hunting,” he said.

“The tradition is slowly fading away.”

In a bid to push back at that decline, Moosenose spent November and December organizing a revival of the Whatì-Behchokǫ̀ ride.

When the big day came, on December 27, the response delighted him.

“In the past, before cell phones, people had bush radios as the only way they could communicate year-round. They would only see each other during New Year’s or the fur trading season, where the men would go to Behchokǫ̀ and sell their furs,” he said.

“Whatì used to connect with Wekweètì and Gamètì and they’d travel together as a big group to Behchokǫ̀. So that’s what we decided to do. And in the beginning, we were only talking of five Ski-Doos.

“We didn’t anticipate it was going to be a huge, huge turnout – but surprisingly, we had 19 Ski-Doos.”

That number grew the closer to Behchokǫ̀ they got. A journey you could probably accomplish in about 90 minutes took more than three hours as riders savoured the unusually warm weather, the scenery and the social scene.

By the time the group arrived in Behchokǫ̀, Moosenose said he had lost count of its size. He thinks around 30 snow machines were involved by that point. And to top it off, the party reached its destination just in time for a festive gathering being held at Behchokǫ̀’s brand-new cultural centre.

“They actually had fireworks for us,” he said, a statement backed up by video footage of fireworks going off as the snowmobiles reached the community. “I’m still lost for words and I’m still in shock, because I didn’t expect any fireworks. There were so many people out there – bear bangers going, flares going – and it was just a whole new celebration all over again.”

Moosenose compared the experience to Trails of Our Ancestors, a summertime Tłı̨chǫ tradition in which people retrace the trading, hunting and trapping routes of previous generations by canoe.

“Hopefully it continues for the next generation,” he said, pledging to organize a similar ride in a year’s time and involve more members of Tłı̨chǫ communities if he can. “It would be something for the kids to fall back on and say, ‘This is ours.’ It’s a for-the-people, by-the-people type of trip.”

This year, the trip was for one person in particular.

Moosenose named the adventure for the late Frank Gargan, remembered as a longtime Whatì resident who he said had been a fixture at this kind of ride once upon a time.

To Moosenose, Gargan had projected the image of a community “father figure” with friends everywhere, a kindly disposition and a sense of humour, a man who commanded respect throughout Whatì.

“He loved the bush. He was always wanting to go out to do stuff, hunt and trap,” Moosenose said.

“It was mentioned to me that we should put a name on this trip … once the family members gave me the go-ahead, we decided to put it in memory of Frank. We dedicated this one to Frank, in his honour.”