The Northern Life Museum & Cultural Centre in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada is a cultural and historical museum dedicated to preserving and sharing the heritage of the North, especially Indigenous life and early settlement. It’s one of the most significant collections of northern history and culture in Canada.

The museum’s exhibits take you on a journey through life in the North, with thousands of artifacts (over 17,000!) that reflect both Indigenous traditions and the history of early settlers, missionaries, traders, and pioneers. Key highlights include:

• Traditional Indigenous work from Inuit, Inuvialuit, Dene, and Métis cultures.

• A reconstructed trapper’s cabin and trading post.

• Natural history displays featuring animals like wood bison and the rare whooping crane.

• Historic items such as a birch bark canoe, beadwork, clothing, and tools.

• Outdoor exhibits including historic machinery and river-transport artifacts like the Radium King

The museum operates as a cultural centre under a non-profit and aims to collect, preserve, and share the rich natural and cultural heritage of the region for locals, visitors, and scholars alike