Nahani (Nahane, Nahanni) is an Athapaskan word used to designate native groups located in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, the Northwest Territories and the

Yukon Territory Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

between the upper Liard River and the 64th parallel north latitude. While these native groups do not necessarily have anything in common, the Canadian government used the term "Nahani" until the 1970s to refer to them collectively. The group term applied to several distinct tribes: *

Kaska The Kaska or Kaska Dena are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group living mainly in northern British Columbia and the southeastern Yukon in Canada. The Kaska language, originally spoken by the Kaska, is an Athabas ...

, located between the

Dease River The Dease River flows through northwestern British Columbia, Canada and is a tributary of the Liard River. The river descends from Dease Lake, though its ultimate origin is in the headwaters of Little Dease Creek at Snow Peak, approximately we ...

and the Beaver River, divided into two main regional groupings, and further divided into bands: ** Titshotina or ''Hés tʼat gudene'' - ″''Among the'' Mountain People″ to the east, between the Cassiar Mountains and Liard and

s, in British Columbia. ** Tsezotine (″Big Water People″), to the west of the ''Titshotina / Hés tʼat gudene''. ** Takutine, a Kaska band on Teslin River and

Teslin Lake Teslin Lake is a large lake spanning the border between British Columbia and Yukon, Canada. It is one of a group of large lakes in the region of far northwestern BC, east of the upper Alaska Panhandle, which are the southern extremity of the bas ...

, and upper

Taku River The Taku River ( Lingít: ''T'aaḵu Héeni'') is a river running from British Columbia, Canada, to the northwestern coast of North America, at Juneau, Alaska. The river basin spreads across . The Taku is a very productive salmon river and its ...

. ** Pelly River Indians: The Pelly and Ross River tribes were destroyed in 1884, likely by a band of Hare Indians. A band consisting of two survivors as well as members from surrounding tribes reformed in the same area under this name. ** Esbataottine (″Goat People″) (also: ''Espatodena, (E)spa’totena, Espa tah dena'', located north and west of the Kaska along the Beaver River,

South Nahanni River The South Nahanni River is a major tributary of the Liard River, located roughly west of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is the centerpiece of Nahanni National Park Reserve. It flows from the Mackenzie Mountains in the we ...

, and North Nahanni River. * Etagottine (″Air People″), in the valleys of Gravel River and Dahachuni River. *

Tagish The Tagish or Tagish Khwáan ( Tagish: ; tli, Taagish ḵwáan) are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group that lived around Tagish Lake and Marsh Lake, in Yukon of Canada. The Tagish intermarried heavily with ...

, about

Tagish Lake Tagish Lake is a lake in Yukon and northern British Columbia, Canada. The lake is more than long and about wide. It has two arms, the Taku Arm in the east which is very long and mostly in British Columbia and Windy Arm in the west, mostly in ...

and

Marsh Lake Marsh Lake (Mud Lake) is a widening of the Yukon River southeast of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. It is over 30 kilometres long and ranges from three to four kilometres wide. The co-ordinates of the lake are , and is 2,147 feet above sea level. The ...

. *

Tahltan The Tahltan or Nahani are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group who live in northern British Columbia around Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake, and Iskut. The Tahltan constitute the fourth division of the ''Nahane' ...

were sometimes considered a Nahani tribe. These groups are identified as

Southern Tutchone The Southern Tutchone are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group living mainly in the southern Yukon in Canada. The Southern Tutchone language, traditionally spoken by the Southern Tutchone people, is a variet ...

and

Kaska language The Kaska language originated from the family of Athabaskan languages. Traditionally Kaska is an oral aboriginal language that is used by the Kaska Dena people.Farnell, G. (2014). The Kaska Dene: A study of Colonialism, Trauma and Healing in Den ...

speakers. In 1996, there were 2,407 registered Nahani in Canada.

References

* ''The Indians of Canada'', Diamond Jenness, 1932.
"Nahani"
''The Canadian Encyclopedia.'' * ''The Indian Tribes of North America'', John Reed Swanton, 1952. . {{authority control First Nations in British Columbia First Nations in Yukon Indigenous peoples of the Subarctic First Nations in the Northwest Territories

See also

References