Preserve our past, protect our future
Our Vision
The Northern Life Museum will make a contribution to the unique cultural heritage of the North for the enlightenment and appreciation of all
Our Mission
To share the distinctive stories, history and natural cultural heritage of the region of Thebacha, with local, national and international audiences
Our Mandate
To collect, interpret, and preserve stories, history, and natural and cultural heritage of Thebacha, being the region influenced by the Slave River and its tributaries
OUR STORY
Concerned that crucial pieces of history were disappearing from the North, two men by the names of Brother Serrault and Father Francis Ebner made it their mission to collect artifacts and archives to preserve and relay the Northern story. This collection of artifacts lived in Yellowknife, Hay River, and even in the basement of Fort Smith’s local high school before finding its forever home.
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In 1972, the Northern Anthropological and Cultural Society was incorporated, and the Northern Life Museum in Fort Smith was then founded, with our beloved building opening in spring of 1974.
Fast forward 52 years and we continue to serve the same mission of preserving our past, but with an added goal to protect our future. ​
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In 2026, our collection now contains over 17,000 artifacts, including an original copy of Treaty 8, a ship known as the Radium King that worked on Great Bear Lake during the second World War, and a Whooping Crane by the name of Canus who fathered 186 chicks and played a huge roll in the Whooping Crane Conservation Story.
This only scratches the surface of the artifacts and stories that we preserve and share with our community and our visitors from all over the world through exhibits, tours, and interpretive experiences.
In addition to this, we also provide programming to unite our community and foster traditional Northern Indigenous arts and ways of life. We also aim to create a safe space for our whole community to come to enjoy art and history, especially our local youth.
One of our biggest goals is to work towards meeting the Calls to Action for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. We aim to do this through our exhibits, our programs, our collaboration with our local Indigenous governments, and our plans for the future of the museum.
Meet the Team & Contact Us
Our non-for-profit organization is run by our Board of Governors, made up of 8 dedicated volunteers, and our permanent staff crew, made up by two passionate and hard-working young women.
