The Chipewyan ( , also called ''Denésoliné'' or ''Dënesųłı̨né'' or ''Dënë Sųłınë́'', meaning "the original/real people") are a

Dene The Dene people () are an Aboriginal peoples in Canada, indigenous group of First Nations in Canada, First Nations who inhabit the northern Boreal forest of Canada, boreal and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dene speak Northern Athabaskan languag ...

Indigenous Canadian people of the

Athabaskan language family Athabaskan (also spelled ''Athabascan'', ''Athapaskan'' or ''Athapascan'', and also known as Dene) is a large family of indigenous languages of North America, located in western North America in three areal language groups: Northern, Pacific Co ...

, whose ancestors are identified with the Taltheilei Shale archaeological tradition. They are part of the

Northern Athabascan Northern Athabaskan is a geographic sub-grouping of the Athabaskan language family spoken by indigenous peoples in the northern part of North America, particularly in Alaska (Alaskan Athabaskans), Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. The Northe ...

group of peoples, and come from what is now

Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada� ...

Terminology

The term ''Chipewyan'' (ᒌᐘᔮᐣ) is a

Cree The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...

exonym An endonym (from Greek: , 'inner' + , 'name'; also known as autonym) is a common, ''native'' name for a geographical place, group of people, individual person, language or dialect, meaning that it is used inside that particular place, group, ...

meaning ''pointed hides'', referring to the design of their parkas. The French-speaking missionaries to the northwest of the

Red River Colony The Red River Colony (or Selkirk Settlement), also known as Assiniboia, Assinboia, was a colonization project set up in 1811 by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, on of land in British North America. This land was granted to Douglas by the Hud ...

referred to the Chipewyan people as Montagnais in their documents written in French. Montagnais simply means "mountain people" or "highlanders" in French and has been applied to many unrelated nations across North America over time. For example the Neenolino Innu of northern Quebec are also called "Montagnais". Chipewyan album

Demographics

Chipewyan peoples live in the region spanning the western

Canadian Shield The Canadian Shield (french: Bouclier canadien ), also called the Laurentian Plateau, is a geologic shield, a large area of exposed Precambrian igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks. It forms the North American Craton (or Laurentia), the anc ...

to the

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

, including northern parts of the provinces of

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

and

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

. There are also many burial and archaeological sites in Nunavut which are part of the Dënesųłı̨ne group. The following list of

First Nation Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

band government In Canada, an Indian band or band (french: bande indienne, link=no), sometimes referred to as a First Nation band (french: bande de la Première Nation, link=no) or simply a First Nation, is the basic unit of government for those peoples subjec ...

s had in August 2016 a total registered membership of 25,519, with 11,315 in Saskatchewan, 6,952 in Alberta, 3,038 in Manitoba and 4,214 in the Northwest Territories. All had Denesuline populations; however, several had a combination of

and Denesuline members (see the

Barren Lands First Nation Barren Lands First Nation ( cr, ᑭᓯᐸᑲᒫᕽ, kisipakamâhk) is a First Nation located on the north shore of Reindeer Lake in northern Manitoba close to the Saskatchewan border. It has one reserve land called Brochet 197, which is in size ...

in Manitoba and the

Fort McMurray First Nation Fort McMurray First Nation ( cr, ᓂᐢᑕᐚᔮᐤ, nistawâyâw) is a Cree and Chipewyan band government located near Fort McMurray, Alberta. It is a member of the Athabasca Tribal Council and a Treaty 8 nation. The Athabasca Tribal Council rep ...

in Alberta). There are also many Dene (Dënesųlı̨ne)-speaking Métis communities located throughout the region. The Saskatchewan village of

La Loche La Loche () is a village in northwest Saskatchewan. It is located at the end of Highway 155 on the eastern shore of Lac La Loche in Canada's boreal forest. La Loche had a population of 2,827 in 2016 and is within the Northern Saskatchewan Admini ...

, for example, had 2,300 residents who in the 2011 census identified as speaking Dene (Denesuline) as their native language. About 1,800 of the residents were Métis and about 600 were members of the Clearwater River Dene Nation.

Commemorations

The relocation of the Sayisi Dene is commemorated by the Dene Memorial in Churchill Manitoba.

Governance

The Dënesųłı̨ne people are part of many

s spanning Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories.

Alberta

;

Athabasca Tribal Council The Athabasca Tribal Council is a tribal council representing five First Nation band governments in the province of Alberta. The organization is based in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Demographics As of August 2016, there were 6,807 registered members ...

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN, chp, K'ai Taile Dené) is a band government. It represents local people of the Denesuline (Chipewyan) ethnic group. It controls eight Indian reserves: Chipewyan 201 and Chipewyan 201A through Chipe ...

. Reserves:

Fort Chipewyan Fort Chipewyan , commonly referred to as Fort Chip, is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada, within the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo. It is located on the western tip of Lake Athabasca, adjacent to Wood Buffalo National Park, approx ...

(''K'aı́tël koę'') Chipewyan #201, 201A, 201B, 201C, 201D, 201E, 201F, 201G, c. 348 km², Population: 1,200 *

Fort McKay First Nation The Fort McKay First Nation (FMFN) is a First Nations government in northeast Alberta comprising five Indian reserves – Fort McKay 174, Fort McKay 174C, Fort McKay 174D, Namur Lake 174B and Namur River 174A. The FMFN, signed to Treaty 8, is ...

. Reserves: Fort McKay #174, 174C, 174D, Namur Lake #174B, 174A, c. 149 km². Population: 851 *

Chipewyan Prairie First Nation The Chipewyan Prairie First Nation ( chp, Tł'ógh tëlı́ dënesųłı̨ne) is a First Nations band government located in northeast Alberta south of Fort McMurray. It is a member of the Athabasca Tribal Council and a Treaty 8 nation. The Atha ...

(''Tł'ógh tëlı́ dënesųłı̨ne'') Reserves: Cowper Lake #194A, Janvier #194,

Winefred Lake Winefred Lake is a large lake in east-northern Alberta, Canada. It is located in southern Wood Buffalo, in a remote area between Cold Lake and Fort McMurray, and has a total area of . The closest community is the hamlet of Conklin, at . Ecologi ...

(''Ɂuldázé tué'') #194B, c. 31 km². Population: 923 * Fort McMurray First Nation (''Tthı̨dłı̨ kuę́ ''). Reserves: Fort McMurray #468, Clearwater #175, Gregoire Lake #176, 176A, 176B, c. 31 km². Population: 763 *

Mikisew Cree First Nation Mikisew Cree First Nation ( cr, ᒥᑭᓯᐤ, mikisiw, ''meaning: "golden eagle"'') is an Indigenous First Nations government of Woodland Cree people in northeastern Alberta and in Northwest Territories, Canada. Most Mikisew Cree First Nation m ...

, despite the name, the population of this band is mixed with a "little over fifty percent" having Chipewyan ancestry in 2020 according to a former chief, whose own mother was Dene. ;Tribal Chiefs Association (TCA) * Cold Lake First Nations (''Łué chógh tué''). Reserves: Cold Lake #149, 149A, 149B, 149C, c. 209 km². Population: 2,858 ;

Akaitcho Territory Government The Akaitcho Territory Government is a First Nations organization representing the Dene people of the Northwest Territories, Canada.Smith's Landing First Nation Smith's Landing First Nation ( chp, Tthëbátthı́ dënesųłı̨ne) is a band government headquartered at Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada. Members of the band call themselves, in the Dene Suline language Chipewyan or Denesuline ( ...

. 'Thebati Dene Suhne' Tthëbátthı́ dënesųłı̨ne, ''Thebacha Tthëbáchághë'' - 'beside the rapids', the Dene name for Fort Smith. Reserves and communities: ?ejere K'elni Kue #196I, Hokedhe Túe #196E, K'i Túe #196D, Li Dezé #196C, Thabacha Náre #196A, Thebathi #196, Tsu K'adhe Túe #196F, Tsu Nedehe Túe #196H, Tsu Túe Ts'u tué #196G, #196B, c. 100 km². Population: 357

Manitoba

;

Keewatin Tribal Council Keewatin Tribal Council is a tribal council representing 11 First Nation band governments in the province of Manitoba. Its head offices are located in Thompson, Manitoba, with a secondary office in Winnipeg. Members The Keewatin Tribal Counci ...

* Barren Lands (Brochet Kuę́) First Nation has a

and Dene population. Reserve:

Brochet ''Constructions Aéronautiques Maurice Brochet'' was a French manufacturer of light aircraft established by Maurice Brochet (18 June 1899 – 16 June 1969) in Neauphle-le-Château in 1947. Aircraft design and construction Initially, the firm s ...

#197, c. 43 km². Population: 1,139 *

Northlands First Nation The Northlands Denesuline First Nation ( chp, ᓂ ᗂᘚ ᑌᓀ, Nįh hots’į Dene) is a First Nations band government in northwestern Manitoba, Canada. This Dene or Denesuline population were part of a larger group once called the "Caribou-eate ...

also known as ''Northlands Denesuline First Nation''. Reserves and communities:

Lac Brochet Lac Brochet is a lake in north-west Manitoba, Canada. The westernmost extensions of the lake reach almost to the border with Saskatchewan. Lac Brochet, Manitoba the main community and administrative centre of the Northlands First Nation is locate ...

(''Dálú tué''), Lac Brochet #197A, Sheth chok, Thuycholeeni, Thuycholeeni azé, Tthekalé nu, c. 22 km². Population: 1,082 * Sayisi Dene First Nation formerly known as 'Fort Churchill Indian Band'. Reserve: Churchill 1, c. 2 km². Population: 817

Northwest Territories

;

Akaitcho Territory Government The Akaitcho Territory Government is a First Nations organization representing the Dene people of the Northwest Territories, Canada.Deninu Kue First Nation ('Deneh-noo-kweh' - 'People of moose island'), formerly known as '

Fort Resolution Fort Resolution (''Denı́nu Kų́ę́'' (pronounced "deh-nih-noo-kwenh") "moose island place") is a hamlet in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is situated at the mouth of the Slave River, on the shores o ...

Dene'. Reserve: Fort Resolution Settlement Population (2015): 910 * Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation ( Lutselk'e 'Loot-sel-kk ay' - 'place of the Łutsel-fish'), formerly known as 'Snowdrift Band'. Reserve: Snowdrift Settlement. Population (2015): 782 * Salt River First Nation#195 Reserves: Fort Smith Settlement, Salt Plains #195, Salt River #195, Fitzgerald #196 (Alberta), c. 230 km². Population (2015): 971 *

Yellowknives Dene First Nation The Yellowknives Dene First Nation is a band government in the Northwest Territories. It represents the Yellowknives people, namesake of the territorial capital Yellowknife. Its membership primarily resides in two communities: Ndilǫ, bordering t ...

Reserves: Dettah Settlement, N'Dilo Settlement, Yellowknife Settlement. Population (2015) 1 551

Saskatchewan

;

Meadow Lake Tribal Council The Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) is a tribal council representing nine First Nation band governments in the province of Saskatchewan. The council is based in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. Services MLTC provides and coordinates health care, ed ...

(''Tł'ogh tué'') *

Buffalo River Dene Nation The Buffalo River Dene Nation ( chp, Ɂëjëre dësché) is a Dene First Nations band government in Saskatchewan, Canada. The band's main community, Dillon, is located on the western shore of Peter Pond Lake at the mouth of the Dillon River, and ...

(''Ɂëjëre dësché'') located at

Dillon Dillon may refer to: People *Dillon (surname) * Dillon (given name) * Dillon (singer) (born 1988), Brazilian singer *Viscount Dillon, a title in the Peerage of Ireland Places Canada *Dillon, Saskatchewan United States *Dillon Beach, Californi ...

. The reserve is about 84 km north east of Île-à-la-Crosse (''Kuę́ ''). Reserve: Buffalo River Dene Nation No. 193, c. 83 km². Population: 1,405 *

Clearwater River Dene Nation The Clearwater River Dene Nation ( chp, Tı̨tëlase tué) is a Dene First Nations band government in the boreal forest area of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. It maintains offices in the village of Clearwater River situated on the eastern shore ...

(''Tı̨tëlase tué'') Its most populous reserve Clearwater River borders the village of

to the north. Reserves: Clearwater River Dene Nos. 222, 221, and 223, La Loche Indian Settlement c. 95 km². Population: 2,042 *

English River First Nation The English River Dene Nation is a Dene First Nation band government in Patuanak, Saskatchewan, Canada. Their reserve is in the northern section of the province. Its territories are in the boreal forest of the Canadian Shield. This First Nation ...

with offices at

Patuanak Patuanak is a community in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. It is the administrative headquarters of the Dene First Nations reserve near Churchill River and the north end of Lac Île-à-la-Crosse. In Dene, it sounds similar to ''Boni Cheri'' (Bëgh ...

signed

Treaty 10 ''Treaty 10'' was an agreement established beginning 19 August 1906, between King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Edward VII and various First Nations in Canada, First Nation band governments in northern Saskatchewan and a small portion of ea ...

in 1906 under Chief William Apesis. The name originates from the English River where the "poplar house people" (''Kés-ye-hot'ı̨në'') inhabited the area for periods during the year. Most families, who now reside in Patuanak (''Bëghą́nı̨ch'ërë'') and La Plonge 192 by Beauval had traditionally lived down river at Primeau Lake, Knee Lake and Dipper Lake. Reserves: Cree Lake No. 192G, Porter Island No. 192H, Elak Dase No. 192A, Knee Lake No. 192B, Dipper Rapids No. 192C, Wapachewunak No. 192D, LaPlonge No. 192, c. 200 km². Population: 1,528 *

Birch Narrows First Nation Birch Narrows Dene Nation ( chp, K'ı́t'ádhı̨ká) is a Dene First Nation band government in the boreal forest region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. It is affiliated with the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC). Demographics In 1972, Turnor ...

(''K'ı́t'ádhı̨ká'' ) located at

Turnor Lake Turnor Lake is a community on the southern shore of Turnor Lake. From Highway 155 it is accessible by Highway 909. The community includes the Northern Hamlet of Turnor Lake and Turnor Lake 193B of the Birch Narrows First Nation. The combined p ...

, most populous Reserve No. 193B is about 124 km northeast of Île-à-la-Crosse, the reserve originated from Treaty 6 in 1906, Reserves: Churchill Lake No. 193A, Turnor Lake Nos. 193B and 194, c. 30 km². Population: 771 ;

Prince Albert Grand Council The Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) is a Tribal Council representing the band governments of twelve First Nations in the province of Saskatchewan. Its head offices are located in the city of Prince Albert. The Tribal Council was created in 197 ...

(PAGC) *

Black Lake Dene Nation Black Lake ( chp, Tazen Tuwé) is a Denesuline First Nations band government in the boreal forest of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located on the northwest shore of Black Lake where the Fond du Lac River leaves the lake to flow to Lake ...

(''Tázën tué'') located at Black Lake, most populous reserve Chicken No. 224 about c. 170 km southeast of Uranium City (''Tsókı̨në''), formerly known as ' Stony Rapids (''Dëschághë'') Band. Reserves: Chicken Nos. 224, 225, and 226, c. 322 km². Population: 2,111 *

Hatchet Lake Dene Nation Hatchet Lake Denesuline Nation ( chp, Tthęł Tué Dene) is a Denesuline First Nation in northern Saskatchewan. The main settlement, Wollaston Lake, is an unincorporated community on Wollaston Lake in the boreal forest of north-eastern Sas ...

(''Tthëłtué'') also known as "Lac la Hache Denesuline First Nation" is located at

Wollaston Lake Wollaston Lake is a lake in north-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada. It is northeast of Prince Albert. With a surface area of (excluding islands; if islands are included), it is the largest bifurcation lake in the world – that is, a lake tha ...

, c. 354 km north of

Flin Flon Flin Flon (pop. 5,185 in 2016 census; 4,982 in Manitoba and 203 in Saskatchewan) is a mining city, located on a correction line on the border of the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city located within ...

, Reserve: Lac la Hache No. 220, c. 110 km². Population: 1,829 *

Fond du Lac Dene Nation Fond du Lac Dene Nation ( chp, Gánį Kóé) is a Dene First Nations in Canada, First Nation located in the taiga, boreal forest area of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The main settlement is Fond-du-Lac, situated on the east side of Lake Atha ...

(''Gąnı́ kuę́ '') is located at

Fond-du-Lac Fond du Lac Dene Nation ( chp, Gánį Kóé) is a Dene First Nation located in the boreal forest area of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The main settlement is Fond-du-Lac, situated on the east side of Lake Athabasca. It is a remote fly-in com ...

. The most populous reserve Fond Du Lac No. 227 is east of

Lake Athabasca Lake Athabasca (; French: ''lac Athabasca''; from Woods Cree: , "herethere are plants one after another") is located in the north-west corner of Saskatchewan and the north-east corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N in Canada. The lake ...

. Reserves: Fond Du Lac Nos. 227, 228, 229, 231, 232, 233, c. 368 km². Population: 1,989

Historical Chipewyan regional groups

The Chipewyan moved in small groups or bands, consisting of several extended families, alternating between winter and summer camps. The groups participated in hunting, trapping, fishing and gathering in Canada's

boreal forest Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, ...

and around the many lakes of their territory. Later, with the emerging

North American fur trade The North American fur trade is the commercial trade in furs in North America. Various Indigenous peoples of the Americas traded furs with other tribes during the pre-Columbian era. Europeans started their participation in the North American fur ...

, they organized into several major regional groups in the vicinity of the European trading posts to control, as middleman, the carrying trade in furs and the hunting of fur-bearing animals. The new social groupings also enabled the Chipewyan to dominate their

neighbors and to better defend themselves against their rifle-armed

enemies, who were advancing to the

Peace River The Peace River (french: links=no, rivière de la Paix) is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River joins the Athabasca River in th ...

and

. * ''Kaí-theli-ke-hot!ínne (K'aı́tëlı́ hót'ı̨ne)'' ('willow flat-country up they-dwell') lived on the western shore of Lake Athabasca at

. Their tribal area extended northward to Fort Smith on the

Slave River The Slave River is a Canadian river that flows from the confluence of the Rivière des Rochers and Peace River in northeastern Alberta and empties into Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. The river's name is thought to derive from the n ...

and south to

Fort McMurray Fort McMurray ( ) is an urban service area in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. It is located in northeast Alberta, in the middle of the Athabasca oil sands, surrounded by boreal forest. It has played a significant ...

on the

Athabasca River The Athabasca River (French: ''Rivière Athabasca'') is a river in Alberta, Canada, which originates at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and flows more than before emptying into Lake Athabasca. Much of the land along its banks is pro ...

) * ''Kés-ye-hot!ínne (K'ësyëhót'ı̨ne)'' ('aspen house they-dwell' or 'poplar house they-dwell') lived on the upper reaches of the Churchill River, along the

Lac Île-à-la-Crosse Lac Île-à-la-Crosse is a Y-shaped lake in North-Central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the Churchill River. At the centre of the Y is the town of Île-à-la-Crosse, the second oldest town in Saskatchewan. The Churchill exits the north-east arm a ...

Methye Portage The Methye Portage or Portage La Loche in northwestern Saskatchewan was one of the most important portages in the old fur trade route across Canada. The portage connected the Mackenzie River basin to rivers that ran east to the Atlantic. It was ...

, Cold Lake, Heart Lake and Onion Lake. The tribal name is probably a description of adjacent Chipewyan groups for this major regional group and takes literally reference to the Lac Ile à la Crosse established European trading forts which were built with Poplar or

Aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the ''Populus'' genus. Species These species are called aspens: *'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China ...

wood. * ''Hoteladi Hótthę̈nádé dëne'' ('northern people') lived north of the ''Kés-ye-hot!ínne'' between

Cree Lake Cree Lake is a lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. The lake is the fourth largest in the province and is located west of Reindeer Lake and south of Lake Athabasca. There is no highway access, but the lake is reachable by float plane. Cree Lake (Crysta ...

, west of

Reindeer Lake Reindeer Lake is a lake in western Canada located on the border between north-eastern Saskatchewan and north-western Manitoba, with the majority in Saskatchewan. The name of the lake appears to be a translation of the Algonquian name. It is ...

on the south and on the east shore of Lake Athabasca in the north. * ''Hâthél-hot!inne (Hátthëlót'ı̨ne)'' ('lowland they-dwell') lived in the Reindeer Lake (ɂëtthën tué) Region which drains south into the Churchill River. * ''Etthen eldili dene'' (''Etthén heldélį Dené'', ''Ethen-eldeli'' - '

Caribou Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subspe ...

-Eaters') lived in the

Taiga Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruce ...

east of Lake Athabasca far east to

Hudson Bay Hudson Bay ( crj, text=ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, translit=Wînipekw; crl, text=ᐐᓂᐹᒄ, translit=Wînipâkw; iu, text=ᑲᖏᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᓗᐊ, translit=Kangiqsualuk ilua or iu, text=ᑕᓯᐅᔭᕐᔪᐊᖅ, translit=Tasiujarjuaq; french: b ...

, at Reindeer Lake, Hatchet Lake,

and

* ''Kkrest'ayle kke ottine'' ('dwellers among the quaking aspens' or 'trembling aspen people') lived in the boreal forests between

Great Slave Lake Great Slave Lake (french: Grand lac des Esclaves), known traditionally as Tıdeè in Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì (Dogrib), Tinde’e in Wıìlıìdeh Yatii / Tetsǫ́t’ıné Yatıé (Dogrib / Chipewyan), Tu Nedhé in Dëne Sųłıné Yatıé (Chi ...

in the south and

Great Bear Lake Great Bear Lake ( den, Sahtú; french: Grand lac de l'Ours) is a lake in the boreal forest of Canada. It is the largest lake entirely in Canada (Lake Superior and Lake Huron are larger but straddle the Canada–US border), the fourth-largest ...

in the north. * ''Sayisi Dene (Saı́yısı́ dëne)'' (or ''Saw-eessaw-dinneh'' - 'people of the east') traded at

. Their hunting and tribal areas extended between Lake Athabasca and Great Slave Lake, and along the Churchill River. * ''Gáne-kúnan-hot!ínne (Gąnı̨ kuę hót'ı̨ne)'' ('jack-pine home they-dwell') lived in the taiga east of Lake Athabasca and were particularly centered along the eastern

area. * ''Des-nèdhè-kkè-nadè (Dësnëdhé k'e náradé dëne)'' (''Desnedekenade'', ''Desnedhé hoį́é nadé hot'įnę́'' - 'people along the great river') were also known as ''Athabasca Chipewyan''. They lived between Great Slave Lake and Lake Athabasca along the Slave River near

(''Deninoo Kue'' - '

moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...

Island'). * ''Thilanottine (Tthı́lą́ne hót'ı̨ne)'' (''Tu tthílá hot'įnę́'' - 'those who dwell at the head of the lakes' or 'people of the end of the head') lived along the lakes of the Upper Churchill River area, along the Churchill River and Athabasca River, from Great Slave Lake and Lake Athabasca in the north to Cold Lake and Lac la Biche in the southwest. * ''Tandzán-hot!ínne (Tálzą́hót'ı̨ne)'' ('dwellers at the dirty lake', also known as ''Dení-nu-eke-tówe'' - 'moose island up lake-on') lived on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake and along the

Yellowknife River The Yellowknife River is a river in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It flows south and empties into Yellowknife Bay, part of Great Slave Lake, at the city of Yellowknife. The lake is drained by the Mackenzie River into the Arctic Ocean as part ...

, and before their expulsion by the

Tłı̨chǫ The Tłı̨chǫ (, ) people, sometimes spelled Tlicho and also known as the Dogrib, are a Dene First Nations in Canada, First Nations people of the Athabaskan languages, Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group living in the Northwest Territ ...

along

Coppermine River The Coppermine River is a river in the North Slave and Kitikmeot regions of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in Canada. It is long. It rises in Lac de Gras, a small lake near Great Slave Lake, and flows generally north to Coronation Gulf, a ...

. They were often regarded as a Chipewyan group, but form as "

Yellowknives The Yellowknives, Yellow Knives, Copper Indians, Red Knives or T'atsaot'ine (Dogrib language, Dogrib: ''T'satsąot'ınę'') are indigenous peoples of Canada, one of the five main groups of the First Nations in Canada, First Nations Dene who live ...

" historically an independent First Nation and called themselves ''T'atsaot'ine (T'átsąnót'ı̨ne'').

Ethnography

Kids by canoe - Dene - La Loche Sask 1943

Historically, the Denesuline were allied to some degree with the southerly

, and warred against

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

and other

peoples to the north of Chipewyan lands. An important historic Denesuline is

Thanadelthur Thanadelthur "Thanadeltth'er" (c. 1697 – 5 February 1717) was a woman of the Chipewyan Dënesųłı̨ne nation who served as a guide and interpreter for the Hudson's Bay Company. She was instrumental in forging a peace agreement between the ...

("Marten Jumping"), a young woman who early in the 18th century helped her people to establish peace with the Cree, and to get involved with the fur trade (Steckley 1999). The

Sayisi Dene The Sayisi Dene ('People under the Sun'http://skfn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Sayisi-Dene-First-Nation.pdf or 'People of the East', chp, ᓴᔨᓯ ᑌᓀ, Sayisi Dene) are Chipewyan peoples, a Dene group, living in northern Manitoba. They are ...

of northern Manitoba are a Chipewyan band notable for hunting migratory caribou. They were historically located at Little Duck Lake and known as the "Duck Lake Dene". In 1956, the government forcibly relocated them to the port of Churchill on the shore of Hudson Bay and a small village north of Churchill called North Knife River, joining other Dene and becoming members of "Fort Churchill Chipewyan Band". In the 1970s, the "Duck Lake Dene" opted for self-reliance, a return to caribou hunting, and relocated to

Tadoule Lake, Manitoba Tadoule Lake ( chp, ᕞᐡ ᗀᐅᐟᕄ ᕤᐧᐁ, T’es he úli túé) is an isolated northern community in Manitoba reachable by plane, snowmobile, Sled dog, dog team sleds, and in winter by winter road. In 1973, the Sayisi Dene moved here to r ...

, legally becoming "Sayisi Dene First Nation (Tadoule Lake, Manitoba)" in the 1990s. https://uofmpress.ca/books/detail/night-spirits

Culture

The Chipewyan used to largely be nomadic. They used to be organized into small bands and temporarily lived in tepees. They wore one-piece pants and moccasin outfits. However, their nomadic lifestyle began to erode since 1717 when they encountered English entrepreneurs. The Chipewyan subsequently became important in the subarctic trade by exchanging furs and hides for metal tools, guns, and cloth. Modern Chipewyan are either fluidly sedentary or semi-nomadic in lifestyle. Many still practice their traditional lifestyle for subsistence like fishing or hunting caribou although this process is modernized with the use of modern nets, tools, transportation and more.

Language

Denesuline (Chipewyan) speak the

Denesuline language Chipewyan or Denesuline (ethnonym: ), often simply called Dene, is the language spoken by the Chipewyan people of northwestern Canada. It is categorized as part of the Northern Athabaskan language family. Dënësųłinë́ has nearly 12,000 s ...

, of the

Athabaskan Athabaskan (also spelled ''Athabascan'', ''Athapaskan'' or ''Athapascan'', and also known as Dene) is a large family of indigenous languages of North America, located in western North America in three areal language groups: Northern, Pacific C ...

linguistic group. Denesuline is spoken by

Aboriginal people in Canada In Canada, Indigenous groups comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Although ''Indian'' is a term still commonly used in legal documents, the descriptors ''Indian'' and ''Eskimo'' have fallen into disuse in Canada, and most consider them ...

whose name for themselves is a cognate of the word ("people"): (or ). Speakers of the language speak different dialects but understand each other. There is a 'k', t dialect that most people speak. For example, people in Fond du lac, speak the 'k' and say while others who use the 't' say . Signs La Loche Airport

The name ''Chipewyan'' is, like many people of the Canadian prairies, of Algonquian origin. It is derived from the Plains Cree name for them, (), "pointed skin", from (), "to be pointed"; and (), "skin" or "hide" - a reference to the cut and style of Chipewyan

parka A parka or anorak is a type of coat with a hood, often lined with fur or faux fur. This kind of garment is a staple of Inuit clothing, traditionally made from caribou or seal skin, for hunting and kayaking in the frigid Arctic. Some Inuit ano ...

s. Most Chipewyan people now use ''Dene'' and ''Denesuline'' to describe themselves and their language. The Saskatchewan communities of Fond-du-Lac, Black Lake and Wollaston Lake are a few. Despite the superficial similarity of the names, the Chipewyan are not related to the ''Chippewa'' (

Ojibwa The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

) people. In 2015, Shene Catholique-Valpy, a Chipewyan woman in the

, challenged the territorial government over its refusal to permit her to use the ʔ character in her daughter's name, Sahaiʔa. The territory argued that territorial and federal identity documents were unable to accommodate the character. Sahaiʔa's mother finally registered her name with a hyphen in place of the ʔ, while continuing to challenge the policy. Shortly afterward, another woman named Andrea Heron also challenged the territory on the same grounds, for refusing to accept the ʔ character in her daughter's

Slavey The Slavey (also Slave and South Slavey) are a First Nations indigenous peoples of the Dene group, indigenous to the Great Slave Lake region, in Canada's Northwest Territories, and extending into northeastern British Columbia and northwestern ...

name, Sakaeʔah (actually a cognate of Sahaiʔa).

Notable Chipewyan

* Matonabbee (Matąnebı́) * Thanadelthur (Thánadëltth'ér) *

Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of Canada and its first ...

was a grandson of a Chipewyan *

Jimmy Herman Jimmy Herman (October 25, 1940 - September 13, 2013) was an Indigenous Canadian actor who appeared in several films, including ''Dances with Wolves''. Biography He was born on the Cold Lake Reserve in Alberta, Canada. His descents were Chipe ...

actor from Cold Lake First Nation.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chipewyan People Dene peoples Algonquian ethnonyms First Nations in Alberta First Nations in Saskatchewan First Nations in the Northwest Territories First Nations in Manitoba First Nations in British Columbia