The Department of Natural and Cultural Affairs formed in 1975, as part of a general reorganization of the Government of the Northwest Territories. Functions relating to northern culture and the traditional way of life were brought together to create this department. Included in Department of Natural Cultural Affairs was the Fish and Wildlife Service that transferred from the Department of Economic Development; Recreation and Library Services that transferred from the Department of Local Government; and the Museum and Historical Programs that transferred from the Executive Secretariat.
The Department of Natural and Cultural Affairs was responsible for assisting residents in the Northwest Territories in pursuit of their culture, traditions, lifestyles and providing for the preservation of their way of life and the traditional pursuits of trapping and hunting through an effective game management program. The department managed the wildlife resources of the Northwest Territories and assisted people who were dependent on these resources to harvest wildlife in a way that would ensure continued availability of the resources. It also provided advice and financial and technical assistance to communities, sports organizations and cultural groups in the development and implementation of sports, recreation and cultural activities. A central library service and the development and operation of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre were also functions fulfilled by the Department of Natural and Cultural Affairs.
The Fish and Wildlife Service included the following programs: Big Game Management, Fisheries Development, Trapline Management and Environmental Management. This division was responsible for managing the wildlife resources of the Northwest Territories, as well as providing opportunities for northern people to pursue traditional hunting, trapping and fishing. Through these programs, management studies were conducted on caribou, polar bear, grizzly bear and bison in order to determine population levels. The Fish and Wildlife Service also assisted communities in harvesting caribou as a food source. The Fisheries Development program was concerned with the promotion and development of commercial fisheries and monitoring the harvesting of fish to ensure that the species was not exploited. The Trapline Management program emphasized training of young trappers through courses conducted by Fish and Wildlife officers and experienced trappers who taught trapping techniques, fur handling and marketing, bush living, survival skills, equipment care and preservation of game and fish. This program also operated a fur marketing service that allowed trappers to ship furs directly to auction houses in order to gain a higher financial return and worked closely with the Hunters and Trappers Association. The increased incidence of exploration and development in the north fostered a larger role for the Fish and Wildlife Service in environmental management. The Environmental Management program conducted environmental assessments in order to determine the impact development had on wildlife and to make recommendations to minimize the impact. In early 1976, responsibility for administering the Outpost Camp Program was turned over to the Fish and Wildlife Service and funding made available to implement the program throughout the territories. This program provided financial assistance to groups who wished to move back to the land and live off the natural resources available by hunting and trapping. Transportation costs, building materials, heating fuel and loans for food and supplies were made available through this program. It was hoped that eventually many of the outpost camps would become completely self-sufficient and would require minimum financial assistance. The Fish and Wildlife Service changed its name to the Wildlife Service in 1978. Its focus was the transferal of the administrative aspect of the resource harvesting assistance programs to the communities. In 1978, the first step taken in decentralizing the responsibility of the administration of trapper's incentive grants, trapper's assistance, community hunts, the fur marketing service and the outpost camp program to the regions. In some regions, the Hunters and Trappers Associations began to administer community hunts, the outpost camp program and trappers assistance programs. Wildlife Services continued to promote wildlife management by providing education programs and career opportunities and encouraged the conservation of local habitat through wildlife management studies.
The Recreation Division focused on encouraging local involvement at the community level in recreational activities and assisted recreation committees in planning and developing local recreation programs. The division offered leadership training in order to facilitate local involvement and was involved in offering territorial wide clinics in a variety of sports. A major activity was the organization of the participation of the Northwest Territories in the Canada Winter Games, Arctic Winter Games and Northern Games. The division participated in the Montreal Olympics in 1976, by sending Inuit and aboriginal performers to demonstrate cultural games and activities. It also assisted in the organization of Federation Sport North that supported the development of sport activities on a Territorial-wide basis and was involved in selecting the teams and athletes that would represent the Northwest Territories at the Canada Games and Arctic Winter Games. The Recreation Division was also responsible for developing and implementing the Portable Pool Swimming Program and introducing the National Coaching Development Program. In 1979-80, the Recreation Division was renamed Recreation and Cultural Programs in order to include cultural organizations, which were supported by the division through grants and financial assistance. This assistance was provided to aboriginal groups in order to encourage participation in cross-cultural recreation activities, such as Treaty Days Celebrations, and to demonstrate northern Indigenous cultural activities through cultural exchanges.
Library Services transferred from the Department of Local Government to the Department of Natural and Cultural Affairs in 1975. This service continued to implement its programs and to develop library services throughout the Territories. Library Services assisted local libraries by providing financial assistance for the provision of books and equipment and for hiring librarians. The Children's Program was developed and delivered through Library Services. This program was a reading project that consisted of books and cassettes that were provided to children through community libraries. Puppet shows, story hours and classroom sessions were also part of this program. The Government Library was also delivered under this service and provided information and research services to members of the Territorial Council and the staff of the government administration.
The Museum and Historical Program focused on the development, construction and operation of the Territorial Central Museum, later known as the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. The Museum and Historical Program implemented the Northwest Territories Museum Policy and provided a museum program for the preservation of artifacts and archival materials that depicted the way of life and events in the Northwest Territories, as well as protected the archaeological and historical sites in the Northwest Territories. The museum collected, produced exhibits and offered an extension service in support of community and regional museums such as the Northern Life Museum in Fort Smith and the Inuit Museum in Igloolik. A Northwest Territories Advisory Council was appointed by the Commissioner in 1976 which was to provide advice, guidance and direction in the overall programming of the museum, historical sites and archives and provided a liaison with other interested associations and individuals. In 1977, the first archaeological project through the Prince of Wales Museum was initiated to survey historical remains on Dealy Island. The issuing of archaeological permits would become a function of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre after it officially opened, as well as the fabrication of traveling exhibits and the circulation of exhibits from other museums. Between 1978-1979, a Territorial Archives was developed in order to preserve the documentary records of the history of the Northwest Territories. The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre officially opened April 3, 1979 as a museum facility concerned with collection, exhibition, education/extension, archival and research activities. The Museum and Historical Programs Division also administered a program of grants to community museums and historical societies, as well as provided advice, assistance and technical services. The division also delivered a plaquing program that commemorated northern historical sites, as well as the Grants for Northern Historical Development, which provided funding to the Indian Brotherhood of the Northwest Territories, the Metis Association of the Northwest Territories, and the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada to encourage preservation of Indigenous traditions, culture and history.
In 1979, the Department of Natural and Cultural Affairs dissolved. The Wildlife Service Division transferred to the Department of Renewable Resources; the Recreation Division transferred to the Department of Local Government; the Library Services Division and Museum and Historical Programs were transferred to the Department of Justice and Public Services.
The Department of Personnel was first organized in Ottawa on August 1, 1966. The department was subsequently reorganized for the 1967-68 fiscal year, after the seat of the NWT government was moved to Yellowknife. The Department took an active administrative role in planning for the transfer of Government of the Northwest Territories employees during 1967. In 1967/68 the department was divided into Policy and Benefits, Staffing, Manpower Development and Training and Employee Relations. In 1969, the transfer of government responsibilities of the Mackenzie district from the federal to territorial government was completed, and the Keewatin and Baffin regions transferred in 1970. The Department focused a great deal of its attention on the transfer but also was responsible for staffing and administering responsibilities for the newly formed government.
In 1970 the department was organized into Staff Relations, Compensation and Benefits, Personnel Services and Employee Accommodation. The major projects of the year (aside from the Keewatin and Baffin transfer) was the establishment of a territorial classification and pay plan and the establishment of collective agreements. The collective agreements provided significant changes to the terms and conditions of working within the territorial government such as clarification of hours of work, overtime, shift work and shift premiums; provision of severance pay; vacation removal allowance and the formalization of procedures for adjustment of disputes and grievances. As a result of the territorial government assuming responsibilities in the Eastern arctic, uniform housing inventory control was established for all regions (Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Inuvik, Keewatin and Baffin). Its purpose was to aid in the allocation of accommodation and planning for future requirements. The growth of the public service was controlled by an establishment freeze imposed by the Commissioner in late 1970 and carried on during 1971. The majority of new employees joining the territorial government were hired to fill vacancies due to resignation or retirement. Promotion within the government was encouraged.
In 1971 the Department of Personnel was dissolved. The Executive Secretariat assumed the policy making and planning functions of the department, and acquired the Staff Relations, Compensation and Benefits and Manpower Planning and Development divisions. The Department of Administration acquired Personnel Administration with the Pay and Benefit Administration and Employee Selection and Placement divisions.
In 1975, the Executive Committee announced the reorganization of several departments and reformed the Department of Personnel. The department was organized into six functional areas covering staffing, housing, classification, pay research, employee relations, and administration, training and regional coordination. In 1977 the Office of Native Employment was established with the initial goals being to analyze patterns of Indigenous employment and the role of ombudsman and counselor to Indigenous employees and potential employees, as well as addressing the issue of involving and integrating Indigenous northerners into the public service. In 1979 the department was streamlined into three divisions: Personnel Services, Staff Development, and Classification and Compensation, with a Systems and Administration section supporting the directorate and the other three divisions. In 1980 the Office of Native Employment and the in-service training section were integrated into the mainstream of Staff Development and Training division.
By 1982 the department was reorganized into four divisions: Personnel Services, Staff Relations, Staff Development and Training and Systems and Administration. The computerized personnel information system P.I.N.G.O. was also implemented in this year. In 1983 a conflict of interest policy was implemented. In 1984 the Office of Native Employment directed its efforts to the development of an affirmative action plan for Indigenous people. A report of their findings and recommendations was presented to the Commissioner. 1984 also saw another reorganization of the Department into Personnel Services, Staff Relations, Manpower Planning, and Finance and Administration.
In 1986, the first minister of the department was appointed, and the department was reorganized into three divisions: Staffing and Classification, Staff Relations and Human Resources Planning. In May 1986, Headquarters Regional Operations division was also created. In 1987 the minister implemented a policy of establishment of a smoke-free workplace within the NWT public service. In 1989, the Affirmative Action Policy replaced the Native Employment Policy. The policy provided hiring preference in the public service for Indigenous persons.
In 1990, the department underwent a major reorganization in an effort to improve the delivery of service to the public as well as internally. This involved the separation of staffing and classification functions, elimination of the Yellowknife regional office and consolidation of the policy and human resource functions. The divisions after reorganization were Classification, Equal Employment, Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Staffing, Staff Relations, and Regional Operations.
In 1996 the department was dissolved and responsibility for human resources was decentralized to each of the existing GNWT departments.