The sound of the wind across the ice, the scent of spruce, and the glow of a morning fire set the rhythm of life in Behchokǫ̀, a Tłı̨chǫ community northwest of Yellowknife. Here, Elder William teaches young people how to live from the land, carrying on the traditions of his Dene ancestors.
“You go out on the land to survive,” he says, “but it builds your willpower stronger. Out there is not for the weak person.” On some mornings, the thermometer reads 32-below. The group sleeps in what he calls a “5-star blanket,” and when the sun rises, someone must get up to make the fire. The experience shapes both body and spirit, teaching endurance, humility, and gratitude.
William’s way of life reflects an ancient Dene Law: Ǫhndah gots’edıhchá & godhǫą ashı̨ı azhǫchu – Be respectful of others and everything around you. To live by this teaching is to see creation as a gift and community as sacred. Respect is not an idea, but a daily practice shown in how one hunts, shares, and prays.
The local church, now 100 years old, stands as a sign of that same spirit of respect. “This church was built by dried meat and fish,” William recalls. “People were working for free. That’s their church.” The priest at the time sold furs to buy lumber and everyone gave what they could. Together they raised a house of worship that still stands as a reminder of faith, sacrifice, and belonging.
In Behchokǫ̀, faith moves through the seasons of life. “If you go to church, if you get married, you’re happy. And then when your parents die, happy and sad. That’s what this church is for. Life goes on.” The rhythm of joy and sorrow continues as naturally as the movement of the caribou across the land.
For generations, the Dene gathered to celebrate and remember through prayer and drum dance. When there is a wedding, a funeral, or an important feast, the community joins in song and rhythm, calling upon their ancestors. These ceremonies express a faith that reaches deep into the soil and sky of the North.
Into this story steps Fr. Lawrence Amamchukwu, a missionary priest from Nigeria and a member of the Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy, the first indigenous congregation founded in Africa. He arrived in the Northwest Territories in 2023 and became pastor of Behchokǫ̀ the following year. His first winter came as a shock. “I didn’t even have a winter coat,” he laughs. He soon learned that life in the North demands more than warmth; it asks for perseverance and love.
“Being a missionary,” he says, “I always dispose myself to wherever I am sent. When I was going through seminary, I never said I was going to work here or there. I go where I am needed.”
In Behchokǫ̀, about 50 parishioners attend Mass each week in a community of 2000. Nearly 90% identify as Catholic. Weddings, funerals, Easter, and Christmas fill the church to standing room. For many years, the people had no resident priest. They came together on Sundays to pray the Rosary, keeping their faith alive through devotion to the Blessed Mother.
“One good thing I know here is their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” says Fr. Lawrence. “When someone is dying, the family will gather around and say the Rosary because they believe that the Blessed Mother will help this person to go to Jesus.”
Mass often lasts 2 hours as the readings and homily are translated into the Tłı̨chǫ language. “I’m trying to learn,” Fr. Lawrence smiles. “They always have joy when ‘Father is trying to learn our language.’” His effort to understand and to speak with the people reflects the Dene law he lives among: respect for others and everything around you.
To serve here means giving up many comforts. “Life in the North is really on mission land. You have to give up a lot of things,” he admits. Yet there is joy in that sacrifice. “I’m happy doing it.”
In Elder William’s words and Fr. Lawrence’s witness, 2 worlds meet. One teaches that strength and belonging grow from the land. The other shows that home can be anywhere the heart chooses to love and serve. Both reveal that home is not only a place but a way of being; where faith takes root, where respect gives life, and where God quietly dwells among his people.
Home is where the heart is. And where faith is, home is never far away.