The Dene Thá (/'tɛnɛ ðɑː/) First Nation is a

First Nations government In Canada, an Indian band (), First Nation band () or simply band, is the basic unit of government for those peoples subject to the ''Indian Act'' (i.e. status Indians or First Nations). Bands are typically small groups of people: the largest in ...

of the South Slavey in

Northern Alberta Northern Alberta is a geographic region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. An informally defined cultural region, the boundaries of Northern Alberta are not fixed. Under some schemes, the region encompasses everything north of the ce ...

, Canada. The people call themselves Dene Dháa (sometimes spelled Dene Tha' or Dene Th'a) or 'Ordinary People' in the Dene Dháh language. Its population is centered primarily in three communities: Bushe River, Meander River, and

Chateh Chateh is an unincorporated community in northern Alberta in Hay Lake I.R. 209, located north of Highway 58, northwest of High Level in Mackenzie County. It is also known as Assumption. Mackenzie County is home to 12,804 people according t ...

(formerly known as Assumption), but approximately 600 members who live off-reserve. Dene Thá First Nation is

Treaty 8 Treaty 8, which concluded with the June 21, 1899, signing by representatives of the Crown and various First Nations of the Lesser Slave Lake area, is the most comprehensive of the eleven Numbered Treaties. The agreement encompassed a land m ...

nation and a member of the

North Peace Tribal Council The North Peace Tribal Council represents five First Nations in northwestern Alberta, Canada. The North Peace Tribal Council was incorporated in 1987, by the Beaver First Nation, Dene Tha' First Nation, Little Red River Cree First Nation, and Tallc ...

Territories

The following areas are reserved for the Dene Thá: Amber River 211,

Bistcho Lake 213 Bistcho Lake 213 is an Indian reserve of the Dene Tha' First Nation in Alberta, located within Mackenzie County Mackenzie County is a specialized municipality in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located in Census Division 17, along the Macken ...

, Bushe River 207,

Hay Lake 209 Hay Lake 209 is an Indian reserve of the Dene Tha' First Nation in Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Al ...

Jackfish Point 214 Jackfish Point 214 is an Indian reserve of the Dene Tha' First Nation in Alberta, located within Mackenzie County Mackenzie County is a specialized municipality in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located in Census Division 17, along the Mack ...

, Upper Hay River 212, and Zama Lake 210 The total area of the reserves is . Until the 1950s, the Dene Thá lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle and hunted in their traditional territory, which included land in the northwestern corner of Alberta, the southern Northwest Territories, and the northeastern corner of British Columbia. Today, many live in permanent settlements in and around Bushe River, Meander River, and Chateh.Harvey-Trigoso, Kim (1999). ''Ecological knowledge of the Dene Tha': Traditional subsistence activities and childhood socialization''. University of Calgary. The Dene Thá First Nation signed Treaty 8 in 1900.

Demographics

the First Nations registered population was 2871 with 2017 members living on reserves or crown land and 854 members living off reserve.

Language

Dene Dháh (/'dɛnɛ ðɑh/) translates to 'Dene language' is the preferred name for the language spoken by the Dene Thá, but linguists and anthropologists commonly refer to the language simply as a dialect of South Slavey. It has been called

Slavey The Slavey (also Awokanak, Slave, and South Slavey) are a First Nations in Canada, First Nations group of Indigenous peoples in Canada. They speak the Slavey language, a part of the Athabaskan languages. Part of the Dene people, their homeland ...

, South Slavey, Alberta Slavey, and

Dene The Dene people () are an Indigenous group of First Nations who inhabit the northern boreal, subarctic and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dene speak Northern Athabaskan languages and it is the common Athabaskan word for "people". The term ...

, a catch-all term which encompasses several

Northern Athabaskan 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 spra ...

language groups.Moore, Patrick and Angela Wheelock. 1990. Wolverine Myths and Visions: Dene Traditions from Northern Alberta. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Dene Dháh, the only variety of South Slavey spoken in Alberta (Dene Zhatié is spoken in the Northwest Territories), belongs to the Northern Athabaskan subgrouping of the Athabaskan language family. It is closely related to languages such as

Dane-Zaa The Dane-zaa (ᑕᓀᖚ, also spelled Dunne-za, or Tsattine) are an Athabaskan languages, Athabaskan-speaking group of First Nations in Canada, First Nations people. Their traditional territory is around the Peace River (Canada), Peace River in A ...

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 Athaba ...

, Dëne Sųłiné, and Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì''.''

Dialects

Dene Dháh has three distinct

dialect A dialect is a Variety (linguistics), variety of language spoken by a particular group of people. This may include dominant and standard language, standardized varieties as well as Vernacular language, vernacular, unwritten, or non-standardize ...

s: * Xewónst’e (

Fort Vermilion Fort Vermilion is a hamlet on the Peace River in northern Alberta, Canada, within Mackenzie County. Established in 1788, Fort Vermilion shares the title of oldest European settlement in Alberta with Fort Chipewyan. Fort Vermilion contains many ...

-Eleske) * Xewónht’e (

Assumption Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven. Assumption may also refer to: Places * Assumption, Alberta, Canada * Assumption, Illinois, United States ** Assumption Town ...

Habay Habay (; ) is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Luxembourg (Belgium), province of Luxembourg, Belgium. On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers 103.64 km2, had 7,903 inhabitants, giving a populati ...

) * Kegúnht’u (

Bistcho Lake Bistcho Lake is a large lake in northwestern Alberta, Canada. Bistcho Lake has a total area of (with islands area and water surface), and lies at an elevation of . It is the third largest lake in Alberta. Bistcho Lake is located in the hy ...

) Each dialect name translates to "It's like that" and exhibits variation typical of the dialects.

Linguistic vitality

Most Dene Dháa adults speak Dene Dháh as their first language, and the language is still being passed on to children. In 2006, a survey conducted among school-aged children in Chateh reported a native-speaker proficiency rate of 65%.

References

External links

Dene Tha' official websiteEthnologue
{{Authority control Dene governments First Nations governments in Alberta