Bear Rock

Bear Rock (Dene: Kweteniɂaá)[2] is a geologic formation in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories located across the mouth of the Great Bear River from Tulita.

Not to be confused with Bear Rocks, Pennsylvania or Bear Rocks Preserve.
Bear Rock
Stratigraphic range: 422.9 - 385.3 ma
The Bear Rock outcropping is about ten kilometers north of the mouth of the Great Bear River, NW of Tulita, NWT.[1]
TypeFormation
Location
Coordinates64°58′0″N 125°43′22″W
RegionNorthwest Territories
Country Canada
Bear Rock is located in Northwest Territories
Bear Rock
Bear Rock (Northwest Territories)

Location of Bear Rock in the Northwest Territories

Geology

Bear Rock is a lithostratigraphic sedimentary outcropping composed primarily of gypsum, dolomite, limestone, and breccia laid down in the Late Silurian to Middle Devonian (422.9 - 385.3 ma) periods.[3] It is a site of karst features including caves and sinkholes, including one that was featured on Fodor's "15 of Canada's Most Stunning Natural Wonders" list.[4] Marine fossils including acanthodians,[5] brachiopods and corals[3] have been found here.

Folklore

Bear Rock is said to be the rock over which a mythical hero, known to various Dene groups as either Yamoria, Yamozah, or Zhamba Dezha, stretched the skins of giant beavers after he had slain them to stop them from terrorizing the people. It has been a traditional place of prayer and reflection for these indigenous people for generations.[6]

2019 landslide

In May 2019, following damage from a forest fire a few months earlier, a major landslide occurred on the north slope which scarred the landscape and covered the entrances to several caves.[6]

See also

References
  1. map showing the location of the formation.
  2. Sahtu Heritage Places and Sites Joint Working Group. "Tulı́t'a". Sahtú Renewable Resources Board. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  3. "Bear Rock Formation". weblex.nrcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  4. March, James (2021-03-02). "15 of Canada's Most Stunning Natural Wonders". Fodors Travel Guide. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  5. Cumbaa, Stephen L; Schultze, Hans-Peter (2002-10-01). "An Early Devonian (Emsian) acanthodian from the Bear Rock Formation, Anderson River, Northwest Territories, Canada". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 39 (10): 1457–1465. doi:10.1139/e02-047. ISSN 0008-4077.
  6. Brockman, Alex (18 June 2019). "Landslide damages Bear Rock — Tulita's Notre Dame". CBC News. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
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