The
Dakelh or
Carrier are the
indigenous peopleThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas, their descendants, and many ethnic groups who identify with those peoples...
of a large portion of the
Central InteriorThe British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as The Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
of
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Most Carrier call themselves
Dakelh, meaning "people who go around by boat". The term
Carrier is a translation of the name for them used by the neighboring
SekaniSekani is the name of an Athabaskan First Nations people and language in the Northern Interior of British Columbia. Their territory includes the Finlay and Parsnip River drainages of the Rocky Mountain Trench. The neighbors of the Sekani are the Babine to the west, Dakelh to the south, Dunneza to...
First NationsFirst Nations is a term of ethnicity that refers to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada, who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 600 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread all across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia...
people which Europeans learned first because they crossed Sekani territory before entering Carrier territory. The Dakelh are linguistically
AthabaskanAthabaskan or Athabascan is the name of a large group of closely related indigenous peoples of North America, located in two main Southern and Northern groups in western North America, and of their language family...
.
Geography
Traditional Carrier territory includes the area along the
Fraser RiverThe Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for 1,375 km , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
from north of
Prince GeorgePrince George, with a population of 70,981 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
to south of
QuesnelQuesnel is a small city that is part of the Cariboo District of British Columbia, Canada. Located nearly evenly between the cities of Prince George and Williams Lake, it is on the main route to northern British Columbia and the Yukon...
and including the
BarkervilleBarkerville was the main town of the Cariboo Gold Rush in British Columbia, Canada and is preserved as an historic town. It is located on the north slope of the Cariboo Plateau near the Cariboo Mountains east of Quesnel along BC Highway 26, which follows the route of the original access to...
-
WellWells is a small mining and tourist town in the Cariboo District of central British Columbia, located on BC Highway 26, 74 km from Quesnel and 8 km before the highway's terminus at Barkerville...
s area, the
Nechako CountryThe Nechako Country, also referred to as the Nechako District or simply "the Nechako" is one of the historical geographic regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, located southwest of the city of Prince George and south of Hwy 16 on the inland side of the Hazelton Mountains The...
, the areas around
Stuart LakeStuart Lake, or Nak'albun in the Carrier language is a lake situated in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The town of Fort St. James is situated by the lake near the outlet...
, Trembleur Lake,
Takla LakeTakla Lake is the fifth largest natural lake in British Columbia, Canada. It is a deep fjord-like lake with the Swannell Range to the east, the Driftwood River flowing into it from the north, and the Middle River draining it. It is the terminus of the early Stuart-Takla sockeye salmon run, and...
, Fraser Lake, and
Babine LakeBabine Lake is the longest natural lake in British Columbia, Canada.Babine Lake is located northeast of the town of Burns Lake in central British Columbia, some 177 km west northwest of the city of Prince George. It is 153 km long, from 2 km to 10 km wide, and has a net area of 479 km² and a...
, the
Bulkley ValleyThe Bulkley Valley is located in west central British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:The 257 km long Bulkley River runs through the valley which is bounded on the west by the Hudson Bay Mountain range and on the east by the Babine Mountains...
, and the region along the
West Road RiverThe West Road River or Blackwater River is a major tributary of the Fraser River, flowing generally north-eastward from the Ilgachuz Range and across the Fraser Plateau in the Chilcotin and Cariboo regions of central British Columbia, Canada...
, west to the
Hazelton MountainsThe Hazelton Mountains are a grouping of mountain ranges on the inland lee of the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, spanning the area of Hazelton, British Columbia south to the Nechako Reservoir...
and the
Kitimat RangesThe Kitimat Ranges are one of the three main subdivisions of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Canada, the other being the Pacific Ranges to the south and the Boundary Ranges to the north...
of the
Coast MountainsThe Coast Mountains are a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often referred to as the Coast Range...
, including the Kluskus Lakes, Ootsa Lake, the
QuanchusThe Quanchus Range is a subrange of the Nechako Plateau in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located on the north end of Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area. It is almost completely an island after the creation of the Nechako Reservoir. Its two main summits are Michel Peak ...
and Fawnie Ranges, and Cheslatta Lake.
The Carrier region is for the most part sub-boreal forest, dotted with numerous lakes. There are numerous rivers, all ultimately draining into the
Pacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Tepre Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. It extends from the Arctic in the north to Antarctica in the south, bounded by Asia and...
, mostly via the Fraser River. The climate is continental, with cold winters during which the rivers and lakes freeze over and a short growing season. The area is hilly, with mountains of modest size. The
Rocky MountainsThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in Canada, to New Mexico, in the United States. The range's highest peak is Mount Elbert in Colorado at above sea level...
form the eastern boundary of Carrier territory, but Carrier people are not very familiar even with their foothills because that area in recent times has been occupied by the
CreeCree is one of the largest group of First Nations/Aboriginals in North America, located mainly across Canada and historically in the United States from Minnesota westward but are found today in Montana....
. Part of the
Coast MountainsThe Coast Mountains are a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often referred to as the Coast Range...
and
Hazelton MountainsThe Hazelton Mountains are a grouping of mountain ranges on the inland lee of the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, spanning the area of Hazelton, British Columbia south to the Nechako Reservoir...
fall within Witsuwit'en territory. Farther south, Ulkatcho Carrier people share the Coast Range with the
NuxalkNuxálk are an indigenous people native to Bella Coola, British Columbia in Canada. The term can refer to:* Nuxálk language, a moribund Salishan language.* Nuxalk Nation, the name of the Nuxálk group in the First Nations....
and the northern
Chilcotin PlateauThe Chilcotin Plateau is a major subdivision of the Interior Plateau of British Columbia, also known as the Fraser Plateau. The Chilcotin Plateau is physically near-identical with the region of the same name, i.e...
with the
Tsilhqot'inThe Tsilhqut’in are a Northern Athabaskan First Nations people that live in British Columbia, Canada They are the most southern of the Athabaskan-speaking Aboriginal peoples in British Columbia.The name Tsilhqut’in, also spelled Tŝinlhqot’in is the Chilcotin name for...
.
Culture
The traditional Carrier way of life was based on a seasonal round, with the greatest activity in the summer when berries were gathered and fish caught and preserved. The mainstay of the economy was fish, especially the several varieties of
salmonSalmon is the common name for several species of fish of the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the family are called trout; the difference is often attributed to the migratory life of the salmon as compared to the residential behaviour of trout, a distinction that holds true for the Salmo...
, which were smoked and stored for the winter in large numbers. Hunting and trapping of
deerThe mule deer is a deer whose habitat is in the western half of China. It gets its name from its large mule-like ears. Adult male mule deer are called bucks, adult females are called does, and young of both sexes are called fawns. The black-tailed deer is considered by some a distinct species...
, caribou,
mooseThe moose or common elk , , is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a "twig-like" configuration....
,
elk-Various species of deer:** European Elk , also known as Moose** North American Elk , also known as Wapiti** Indian Elk , also known as Sambar...
,
black bearThe American Black Bear also known as the North American black bear is the most common bear species native to North America. It lives throughout much of the continent, from northern Alaska south into Mexico and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. This includes 41 of the 50 U.S...
,
beaverThe beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, Castor canadensis and Castor fiber . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
, and
rabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European rabbit , Cottontail rabbit , and the Amami rabbit...
provided meat, fur for clothing, and bone for tools. Other fur-bearing animals were trapped to some extent, but until the advent of the
fur tradeThe fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur.-Russian fur trade:Before the colonization of the Americas, Russia was a major supplier of fur-pelts to Western Europe and parts of Asia. Fur was a major Russian export as trade developed in the early Middle...
, such trapping was probably a minor activity. With the exception of berries and the sap and cambium of the
Lodgepole PineLodgepole Pine is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.There are three subspecies, one of them with two varieties. All the four taxa are sometimes treated at the rank of variety....
, plants played a relatively minor role as food, though Carrier people are familiar with and occasionally used a variety of edible plants. Plants were used extensively for medicine. Winter activity was more limited, with some hunting, trapping, and fishing under the ice. Although many Carrier people now have jobs and otherwise participate in the non-traditional economy, fish, game, and berries still constitute a major portion of the diet.
Carrier people engaged in extensive trade with the coast along trails known as "Grease Trails". The items exported consisted primarily of hides, dried meat, and mats of dried berries. Imports consisted of various marine products, the most important of which was "grease", the oil extracted from
eulachonThe eulachon, also hooligan, ooligan, or candlefish, is a small anadromous ocean fish, Thaleichthys pacificus, a smelt found along the Pacific coast of North America from northern California to Alaska....
s (also known as "candlefish") by allowing them to rot, adding boiling water, and skimming off the oil. This oil is extremely nutritious and, unlike many other fats, contains desirable fatty acids. Other important imports were smoked eulachons and dried
Red Laver seaweedPorphyra is a foliose red algal genus of laver, comprising approximately 70 species. It grows in the intertidal zone, typically between the upper intertidal zone and the splash zone in cold waters of temperate oceans. In East Asia, it is used to produce the sea vegetable products nori and gim ,...
. "Grease" and smoked eulachons are still considered by many to be delicacies and are prized gifts from visitors from the west. The route by which Sir
Alexander MacKenzieSir Alexander Mackenzie was a Scottish explorer.Mackenzie was born in Stornoway on the isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. In 1774 his family moved to New York, and then to Montreal in 1776 during the American Revolution...
and his party reached the Pacific Ocean in 1793 in the first crossing of
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
by land was, from the Fraser River westward, a grease trail. Other examples include the
Cheslatta TrailThe Cheslatta Trail is an ancient land route from the Dakelh villages of Behlk'achele and Sdughachola on Cheslatta Lake to Nadleh Village on Fraser Lake...
and the
Nyan WhetiNyan Wheti is an ancient land route from the Dakelh villages on Fraser Lake to villages on Stuart Lake , about 50km to the north...
.
Bands
As an ethnic term,
Carrier includes speakers of both the
Carrier languageThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
proper and its sister language
Babine-Witsuwit'enBabine-Witsuwit'en is an Athabaskan language spoken in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Its closest relative is Carrier. Because of this linguistic relationship together with political and cultural ties, Babine-Witsuwit'en is often referred to as Northern Carrier or Western Carrier...
, both of which are
endangered languageAn endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use. If it loses all its native speakers, it becomes an extinct language.The total number of contemporary languages in the world is not known...
s.
| Band |
IPA |
Translation |
Language |
Tribal Council |
Location |
| Cheslatta Indian Band |
|
|
CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
|
Independent |
Cheslatta Lake |
| Kluskus Indian Band |
|
|
CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
|
Carrier Chilcotin Tribal Council |
Kluskux
(band offices are in QuesnelQuesnel is a small city that is part of the Cariboo District of British Columbia, Canada. Located nearly evenly between the cities of Prince George and Williams Lake, it is on the main route to northern British Columbia and the Yukon...
) |
| Lheidli T'enneh Band The Lheidli T'enneh Band, formerly the Fort George Indian Band and also known as the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation, is the First Nations band government for the Lheidli T'enneh, a subgroup of the Dakelh people whose traditional territory includes the city of Prince George, British Columbia...
|
|
People of the confluence |
CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
|
Independent |
Prince GeorgePrince George, with a population of 70,981 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
|
Nadleh Whut'en First NationThe Nadleh Whut'en First Nation is a First Nations government of the Dakelh people, whose territory is located in the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, around the east end of Fraser Lake. The nation has seven reserves which Indian and Northern Affairs Canada refer to as IR#1-9. The...
|
|
|
CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
|
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is a tribal council representing eight First Nations in the Central Interior of British Columbia...
|
Fraser Lake |
| Nak'azdli Indian Band |
|
where the Stuart River begins to flow |
CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
|
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is a tribal council representing eight First Nations in the Central Interior of British Columbia...
|
Fort St. James Fort St. James is a town and former fur trading post in north-central British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the south-eastern shore of Stuart Lake in the Omineca Country, at the northern terminus of Highway 27, which connects to Highway 16 at Vanderhoof...
|
| Nazko Indian Band |
|
|
CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
|
Carrier Chilcotin Tribal Council |
Nazko Nazko is a small First Nations community located 100 km west of Quesnel on the Nazko River in central British Columbia, Canada. Nazko means, "river flowing from the south".Nazko is the Gateway to the Nuxalk Carrier Grease-Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail...
|
| Red Bluff Indian Band |
|
|
CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
|
Carrier Chilcotin Tribal Council |
QuesnelQuesnel is a small city that is part of the Cariboo District of British Columbia, Canada. Located nearly evenly between the cities of Prince George and Williams Lake, it is on the main route to northern British Columbia and the Yukon...
|
| Saik'uz First Nation Saik'uz First Nation or Stoney Creek is a Dakelh nation whose main community is located on a reserve 9 km South-east of Vanderhoof, British Columbia along Kenney Dam road.-Amenities:...
(Stoney Creek) |
|
"on the sand" |
CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
|
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is a tribal council representing eight First Nations in the Central Interior of British Columbia...
|
Vanderhoof Vanderhoof is a village municipality that lies near the geographical centre of British Columbia, Canada. It has a population of roughly 4,500 residents within city limits. Due to nearby rural communities without services Vanderhoof actually supports nearly 10,000 people. Vanderhoof is almost...
|
| Stellat'en First Nation The Stellat'en First Nation is the band government of the Stellat'en subgroup of the Dakelh paople in the Omineca Country of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-History:...
|
|
|
CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
|
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is a tribal council representing eight First Nations in the Central Interior of British Columbia...
|
|
| Tl'azt'en Nation Tl'azt'en Nation is an Indian band located along the north shore of Stuart Lake in the northern interior of British Columbia. The two main villages belonging to Tl'azt'en Nation are Tache , 60km northwest of Fort St. James and Binche , 40km northwest of Fort St. James...
|
|
people of the end of the lake |
CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
|
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is a tribal council representing eight First Nations in the Central Interior of British Columbia...
|
Stuart LakeStuart Lake, or Nak'albun in the Carrier language is a lake situated in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The town of Fort St. James is situated by the lake near the outlet...
-Trembleur Lake |
| Ulkatcho First Nation The Ulkatcho First Nation is a Dakelh First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is a member of the Carrier Chilcotin Tribal Council, its offices are located in Anahim Lake, British Columbia at the western edge of the Chilcotin District...
|
|
|
CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
|
Carrier Chilcotin Tribal Council |
Anahim Lake Anahim Lake is a small community in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The village and surrounding areas have a population of approximately 1500. The Ulkatcho First Nation has 729 living on nearby reserves. Every July, the Anahim Lake Stampede showcases local talent and is the area’s...
|
| Yekooche First Nation Yekooche First Nation is based 75 kilometers northwest of Fort St. James, British Columbia at the north end of Stuart Lake on Yekooche reserves . It is known in English as Portage due to its location along the portage route between Babine Lake and Stuart Lake.Yekooche is a small community reserve...
|
|
|
CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
|
Independent |
Stuart LakeStuart Lake, or Nak'albun in the Carrier language is a lake situated in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The town of Fort St. James is situated by the lake near the outlet...
|
| Lake Babine Nation Lake Babine Nation is a Babine First Nation originally based around Babine Lake. Its main community has been in Woyenne, near Burns Lake, since many of the nation's members moved there in the 1940s...
(Nat'oot'en Nation) |
|
|
Babine-Witsuwit'en Babine-Witsuwit'en is an Athabaskan language spoken in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Its closest relative is Carrier. Because of this linguistic relationship together with political and cultural ties, Babine-Witsuwit'en is often referred to as Northern Carrier or Western Carrier...
|
Independent |
Burns Lakethumb|309px|right|Burns Lake's welcome signBurns Lake is a rural village in the North-Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, incorporated in 1923...
& Babine LakeBabine Lake is the longest natural lake in British Columbia, Canada.Babine Lake is located northeast of the town of Burns Lake in central British Columbia, some 177 km west northwest of the city of Prince George. It is 153 km long, from 2 km to 10 km wide, and has a net area of 479 km² and a...
|
| Moricetown Indian Band The Moricetown Indian Band is the First Nations government of the Dakelh people of Moricetown, British Columbia....
|
|
|
Babine-Witsuwit'en Babine-Witsuwit'en is an Athabaskan language spoken in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Its closest relative is Carrier. Because of this linguistic relationship together with political and cultural ties, Babine-Witsuwit'en is often referred to as Northern Carrier or Western Carrier...
|
Independent |
Moricetown |
| Nee Tahi Buhn Band |
|
|
Babine-Witsuwit'en Babine-Witsuwit'en is an Athabaskan language spoken in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Its closest relative is Carrier. Because of this linguistic relationship together with political and cultural ties, Babine-Witsuwit'en is often referred to as Northern Carrier or Western Carrier...
|
Independent |
south of Francois Lake François Lake is a lake located in British Columbia about 30 kilometers south of Burns Lake and 10 kilometers west of Fraser Lake. The lake is 110 kilometers long and is the second longest natural lake entirely within British Columbia after Babine Lake. Nadina River is the inflow of the lake at the...
|
| Skin Tyee Band |
|
|
Babine-Witsuwit'en Babine-Witsuwit'en is an Athabaskan language spoken in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Its closest relative is Carrier. Because of this linguistic relationship together with political and cultural ties, Babine-Witsuwit'en is often referred to as Northern Carrier or Western Carrier...
|
Independent |
Skins Lake, south of Francois Lake François Lake is a lake located in British Columbia about 30 kilometers south of Burns Lake and 10 kilometers west of Fraser Lake. The lake is 110 kilometers long and is the second longest natural lake entirely within British Columbia after Babine Lake. Nadina River is the inflow of the lake at the...
|
| Takla Lake First Nation Takla Lake Nation is a First Nation based around Takla Lake, 400km north of Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. The main community is at the north end of Takla Lake, but the band services 17 reserves totaling 809 hectares. Takla Lake First Nation has approximately 650 members...
|
|
|
Babine-Witsuwit'en Babine-Witsuwit'en is an Athabaskan language spoken in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Its closest relative is Carrier. Because of this linguistic relationship together with political and cultural ties, Babine-Witsuwit'en is often referred to as Northern Carrier or Western Carrier...
and SekaniThe Sekani language is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken by the Sekani people of north-central British Columbia, Canada.-Consonants:Sekani has 33 consonants:* *Sekani, like other Athabaskan languages, does not contrast fricatives with approximants....
|
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is a tribal council representing eight First Nations in the Central Interior of British Columbia...
|
Takla Lake Takla Lake is the fifth largest natural lake in British Columbia, Canada. It is a deep fjord-like lake with the Swannell Range to the east, the Driftwood River flowing into it from the north, and the Middle River draining it. It is the terminus of the early Stuart-Takla sockeye salmon run, and...
|
| Wet'suwet'en First Nation The Wet'suwet'en First Nation is a First Nations band located outside of Burns Lake in the central interior of British Columbia. It was formerly known as the Broman Lake Indian Band and is still usually referred to as Broman Lake although this is no longer its official name...
|
|
|
Babine-Witsuwit'en Babine-Witsuwit'en is an Athabaskan language spoken in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Its closest relative is Carrier. Because of this linguistic relationship together with political and cultural ties, Babine-Witsuwit'en is often referred to as Northern Carrier or Western Carrier...
|
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is a tribal council representing eight First Nations in the Central Interior of British Columbia...
|
Burns Lakethumb|309px|right|Burns Lake's welcome signBurns Lake is a rural village in the North-Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, incorporated in 1923...
|
| Burns Lake Indian Band |
|
hone creek |
Mixed (historically CarrierThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
) |
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is a tribal council representing eight First Nations in the Central Interior of British Columbia...
|
Burns Lakethumb|309px|right|Burns Lake's welcome signBurns Lake is a rural village in the North-Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, incorporated in 1923...
|
| Hagwilget |
|
|
Babine-Witsuwit'en Babine-Witsuwit'en is an Athabaskan language spoken in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Its closest relative is Carrier. Because of this linguistic relationship together with political and cultural ties, Babine-Witsuwit'en is often referred to as Northern Carrier or Western Carrier...
|
Hereditary Chiefs |
Hagwilget Hagwilget or Hagwilgyet is a First Nations reserve community of the Wet'suwet'en people located on the lower Bulkley River just east of Hazelton in northwestern British Columbia, Canada...
|
Tribal councils
Eight bands form the
Carrier Sekani Tribal CouncilThe Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is a tribal council representing eight First Nations in the Central Interior of British Columbia...
:
- Burns Lake Indian Band,
- Nadleh Whut'en Band,
- Nak'azdli Indian Band,
- Saik'uz First Nation
Saik'uz First Nation or Stoney Creek is a Dakelh nation whose main community is located on a reserve 9 km South-east of Vanderhoof, British Columbia along Kenney Dam road.-Amenities:...
,
- Stellat'en First Nation
The Stellat'en First Nation is the band government of the Stellat'en subgroup of the Dakelh paople in the Omineca Country of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-History:...
,
- Tl'azt'en Nation
Tl'azt'en Nation is an Indian band located along the north shore of Stuart Lake in the northern interior of British Columbia. The two main villages belonging to Tl'azt'en Nation are Tache , 60km northwest of Fort St. James and Binche , 40km northwest of Fort St. James...
,
- Takla Lake First Nation
Takla Lake Nation is a First Nation based around Takla Lake, 400km north of Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. The main community is at the north end of Takla Lake, but the band services 17 reserves totaling 809 hectares. Takla Lake First Nation has approximately 650 members...
,
- Wet'suwet'en First Nation
The Wet'suwet'en First Nation is a First Nations band located outside of Burns Lake in the central interior of British Columbia. It was formerly known as the Broman Lake Indian Band and is still usually referred to as Broman Lake although this is no longer its official name...
Four bands belong to the Carrier Chilcotin Tribal Council:
- Kluskus Indian Band
- Nazko Indian Band
- Red Bluff Indian Band
- Ulkatcho Indian Band
- Toosey Indian Band of the Tsilhqot'in
The Tsilhqut’in are a Northern Athabaskan First Nations people that live in British Columbia, Canada They are the most southern of the Athabaskan-speaking Aboriginal peoples in British Columbia.The name Tsilhqut’in, also spelled Tŝinlhqot’in is the Chilcotin name for...
people is also a member of the CCTC
The other bands are independent.
Synonymy
In some of the literature Carrier people are known by the French term
Porteurs. Another term sometimes seen is
Taculli along with variant spellings. This is a linguistically naive adaptation of the phonetic notation used by Father
Adrien-Gabriel MoriceAdrien-Gabriel Morice was a missionary priest belonging to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He served as a missionary in Canada, and created a writing system for the Carrier language.-Early life:...
. The first written reference to Carrier people, in the journal of Sir
Alexander MacKenzieSir Alexander Mackenzie was a Scottish explorer.Mackenzie was born in Stornoway on the isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. In 1774 his family moved to New York, and then to Montreal in 1776 during the American Revolution...
, uses the term
Nagailer.
Etymology of Name
The received view of the origin of the Sekani name aɣelne for the Carrier of which the English name is a translation is that it refers to the distinctive Carrier mortuary practice in which a widow carried her husband's ashes on her back during the period of mourning. One problem for this hypothesis is that there is little evidence of the existence of this custom, the report of which is due to Father Morice. According to Hall (1992), her father, Louie-Billy Prince, who had been Father Morice's houseboy and knew him well, Father Morice pestered the Carrier so persistently on the origin of the name that they finally told him the story about widows carrying ashes to satisfy him. An alternative hypothesis is that it refers to the fact that the Carrier, unlike the Sekani, participated in trade with the coast, which required packing loads of goods over the
Grease TrailA grease trail is an overland trade route, part of a network of trails connecting the Pacific coast with the Interior in the Pacific Northwest. Trails were developed for trade between indigenous people, particularly the trade in eulachon oil. The grease from these small fish could be traded for...
s.
External links