I-Nahanni Valley ithathe amashumi eminyaka abantu abazamayo, abahloli bamazwe, nabashisekeli bemvelo engaphezu kwamashumi eminyaka. Idumela layo elihlasimulisa umzimba lisukela ochungechungeni lokufa okungaqondakali nokunyamalala okwenzeke kule ndawo eminyakeni edlule. Ingxenye ekhathaza kakhulu? Izisulu eziningi zitholwe zinqunywe amakhanda, okwadala ingoma epholile, ethi, The Valley of Headless Men.
Isigameko sokuqala esirekhodiwe senzeka ngo-1908 lapho abahloli ababili okuthiwa uWillie noFrank McLeod bathatha uhambo olubi lokungena eNahanni Valley. Laba ababili banyamalala kungazelele muntu, kodwa kwaze kwaba ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa lapho kwatholakala khona izidumbu zabo. Ngokushaqisayo, bobabili babelahlekelwe amakhanda abo. Lokhu kutholwa okuhlasimulisayo kwasungula uchungechunge lwezenzakalo ezingenza iNahanni Valley ibe negama elibi.
Eminyakeni eyalandela, abanye abantu bangena kulesi sigodi, kodwa bahlangabezana nesiphetho esibi ngendlela efanayo. Abanye batholakale benqanyulwe amakhanda wonke, kanti abanye bavele banyamalala, kungasekho mkhondo. Iziphathimandla zaseCanada ziqalise uphenyo, kodwa abukho ubufakazi obuphelele noma izincazelo ezake zatholakala.
Okwenezela emvelweni osabekayo wesiGodi saseNahanni umlando waso ocebile wendabuko nomlando wendabuko. Isizwe samaNaha sanyamalala ngendlela engaqondakali endaweni eminyakeni embalwa ngaphambi kokufa okurekhodiwe kokuqala. Abanye abantu bomdabu abanjengoDene osekungamakhulu eminyaka bebiza le ndawo njengekhaya sekuyisikhathi eside bexwayisa ngobukhona bobubi kulesi sigodi, bexwayisa ngokuhlolwa kwayo.
Abantu bakwaDene balandisa ukuthi isizwe samaNaha, isizwe samaqhawe anolaka, babeyizitha zabo futhi babesatshwa yilezi zizwe ezesabekayo. AmaNaha ayehlala ezintabeni eziphakeme futhi ehlela ezindaweni eziphansi ukuze ahlasele abulale. Igama elithi Nahanni lomdabu waseDene livela "emfuleni wezwe labantu baseNaha".
Naphezu kokubaluleka kwawo emlandweni odluliselwa ngomlomo, i-Naha yanyamalala ngokumangalisayo ngobusuku obubodwa, futhi abukho ubufakazi bokuba khona kwayo obutholakele. Imibono iphakamisa ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi bafuduka, banqotshwa isifo, bafa, noma basahlala esigodini soMfula iNahanni bengakatholwa.
Ngaphezu kwedumela laso elibi, iNahanni Valley futhi iyindawo yezimangaliso zemvelo ezimangalisayo. Kuyikhaya lemigodi ecwila ekujuleni komhlaba, ama-geyser aqhuma ngokucasuka, kanye neziMpophoma zaseVirginia ezinhle kakhulu. Njengoba inde kuneziMpophoma zaseNiagara, le mpophoma ebabazekayo yehlela ekujuleni koMfula iNahanni, enezela ebuhleni nasengqondweni yalesi sigodi.
Naphezu kwezimangaliso zaso zemvelo ezithakazelisayo, iNahanni Valley ayikaziwa futhi igubuzelwe yimfihlakalo. Abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi kunezindawo zokungena ezingakatholwa eMhlabeni OyiHollow phakathi nendawo yawo engakaze ibonwe. Ngokwalo mbono, kunezwe elingaphansi komhlaba elicashile elikhona ngaphansi kwalesi sigodi, eliqukethe izimfihlo ezingachazeki nempucuko yasendulo.
Abanye bacabanga ukuthi iNahanni Valley iyinsalela yezwe elilahlekile, eliba yiqhwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Izinganekwane zikhuluma ngamagugu afihliwe, izinto zobuciko zasendulo, ngisho nethuba lokuhlangana nezinhlobo ezingaziwa zezitshalo nezilwane ngaphakathi ekujuleni kwazo. Lezi zinkolelo-mbono zihehe imiphefumulo eminingi ezamazama, ezimisele ukudalula izimfihlo ezingaphakathi kwalesi sigodi.
Uhulumeni waseCanada uqoke iNahanni Valley njengeSiqiwu Sikazwelonke kanye neNdawo Yamagugu Omhlaba ye-UNESCO. Lesi simo sivikela futhi silondoloze amagugu aso emvelo namasiko ayingqayizivele. Izivakashi zingahlola indawo ngohambo oluqondisiwe, izindlela zokuhamba izintaba, noma ngokuzulazula emfuleni iNahanni. Nokho, idumela elibi lalesi sigodi lisaqhubeka lidlanga kunoma ubani onesibindi sokungena ekujuleni kwaso.
IsiGodi Samadoda Angenakhanda, esaziwa ngokuthi iNahanni, sibamba okungaziwa. Izindawo zayo ezihehayo, umlando ocebile wendabuko, nokufa okungaqondakali kuye kwakwenza kwaba isihloko esithakaselekayo kwabafuna injabulo nabacwaningi ngokufanayo. Noma ngabe kungumsebenzi womoya wokuziphindiselela, isidalwa sasemhlabeni, noma uchungechunge lwezehlakalo ezingezinhle, iNahanni Valley izoqhubeka ibambe izimfihlo zayo eduze, imema labo abanesibindi ngokwanele ukuthi bavule izimfihlakalo zaso.
