Location: Northern Saskatchewan from Lake Athabasca (west) to Wallaston Lake (east)
Regions/Bands: Athabasca Region: Fond-du-Lac, Hatchet Lake, Black Lake, Stony Rapids First Nations; Churchill River Basin: Buffalo River, English River, Birch Narrows, and Clearwater River First Nations.
Geography: Tundra-forest, sub-arctic, rocky landscape with sparse vegetation and small variety of animal life.Language: Canadian Athabascan group, related to the Navajo family
History: Chipewyan is the Cree word describing the pointed hats or clothing of these northern inhabitants. Dene suline and Dene are also used as names referring to Denendeh meaning "Spirit that flows through this land from the Creator". They also refer to themselves as Ethen-eldeli or caribou-eaters.
Prehistory: The Dene are estimated to have inhabited the Northwest territories since the Ice Age, because of oral histories referring to a time of only winter.
Written history of the Chipewyan can be traced back to the establishment of
trade with European fur settlers as far back as 1716, after establishing some
peace with the Cree, who fought the Chipewyan for fur
hunting territory. The Chipewyan historically occupied the Manitoba Hudson
Bay Area to the Slave River, but have spread throughout Canada for various
reasons.
The Chipewyan or Denesuline still practice traditional survival techniques and traditions. These include hunting available game, tea dances, feasts, and so forth. The Denesuline are also well known for their artistic crafts made from animal hides and birch bark, as well as their talent for music and other arts.
Dene Laws: The importance of sharing is emphasized in this culture. According the Dene Cultural Institute, sharing constitutes practices that include helping with workload to looking after one another. Love, peace, and community are all central themes to a Dene's way of life.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the Chipewyan.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL.
If you are a descendant of the Chipewyan, your feedback is much appreciated.
For more information on Chipewyan First Nations:
Dene Nation
http://www.denenation.com
Chipewyan Prairie Dene First Nation http://www.chipewyan.com/
Cold Lake First Nations http://www.clfns.com
Aikatcho Treaty 8 Tribal Corporation http://www.akaitcho.info/
Athabasca Tribal Council http://atc97.org/
First Nations Bands of Saskatchewan http://www.sicc.sk.ca/bands/index.html
References:
Hay, Elaine. The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, "Denesuline (Dene)."
Electronic Document http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/denesuline_dene.html Accessed June 29, 2009
Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Center, "Dene: History and Background."
Electronic Document http://www.sicc.sk.ca/heritage/sils/ourlanguages/dene/dene.html Accessed June 29, 2009
Written by Sitha Im, 2009