The nameDënesųłı̨né, also writtenDenésoliné orDënë Sųłınë́, means "the original/real people".[5][6] The termChipewyan (ᒌᐯᐘᔮᐣ) is anexonym from theCree language meaning 'pointed hides', referring to the design of their parkas.[7]
The French-speaking missionaries to the northwest of theRed River Colony referred to the Chipewyan people as Montagnais in their documents written in French.[8] Montagnais simply means 'mountain people' or 'highlanders' in French and has been applied to many unrelated nations across North America over time. For example, theNeenolino Innu of northern Quebec are also calledMontagnais.
Historically, the Denesuline were allied to some degree with the southerlyCree, and warred againstInuit and otherDene peoples to the north of Chipewyan lands.
An important historic Denesuline isThanadelthur ("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.[9]
TheSayisi Dene ofnorthern Manitoba are a Chipewyan band notable for hunting migratorycaribou. They were historically located at Little Duck Lake and known as the "Duck Lake Dene". In 1956, the government forcibly relocated them to theport of Churchill on the shore ofHudson Bay and a small village north ofChurchill 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 toTadoule Lake, legally becoming "Sayisi Dene First Nation (Tadoule Lake, Manitoba)" in the 1990s.[10][11]
The Chipewyan used to be largely nomadic, organized into small bands and temporarily lived intepees. They wore one-piece pants andmoccasin outfits. However, their nomadic lifestyle began to erode in 1717 when they encountered English settlers. The Chipewyan subsequently became important in thesubarctic trade byexchanging furs and hides for metal tools, guns and cloth.[12]
Modern Chipewyan are either fluidly sedentary or semi-nomadic in lifestyle. Many still practice their traditional lifestyle for subsistence including fishing or caribou hunting although this process is modernized with the use of modern nets, tools, transportation and more.[12]
Denesuline (Chipewyan) speak theDenesuline language, of theAthabaskan linguistic group. Denesuline is spoken byIndigenous peoples in Canada whose name for themselves is a cognate of the worddene ("people"):Denésoliné (orDënesųłiné). 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,Gąnı kuę́ speak the 'k' and sayyaki ku while others who use the 't' sayyati tu.
The nameChipewyan is, like many people of theCanadian Prairies, ofAlgonquian origin. It is derived from thePlains Cree name for them,Cīpwayān (ᒌᐘᔮᐣ), "pointed skin", fromcīpwāw (ᒌᐚᐤ), "to be pointed"; andwayān (ᐘᔮᐣ), "skin" or "hide" - a reference to the cut and style of Chipewyanparkas.[13]
Despite the superficial similarity of the names, the Chipewyan are not related to theChippewa (Ojibwe) people.
In 2015, Shénë Gahdële-Valpy (Shene Catholique-Valpy at the time), a Chipewyan woman in theNorthwest Territories, challenged the territorial government over its refusal to permit her to use theletter⟨ʔ⟩ in her daughter's name, Sahą́ı̨́ʔą (Sahaiʔa withoutdiacritics). The territory argued that territorial and federal identity documents were unable to accommodate the letter. Sahaiʔa's mother finally registered her name with a hyphen in place of the⟨ʔ⟩, while continuing to challenge the policy.[17] Shortly afterwards, another woman named Andrea Heron also challenged the territory on the same grounds, for refusing to accept the letter⟨ʔ⟩ in her daughter'sSlavey name, Sakaeʔah (actually a cognate of Sahaiʔa).[18] Náʔël, the sister of Sahą́ı̨́ʔą, faces the same issues.[19][20]
Chipewyan peoples live in the region spanning the westernCanadian Shield to theNorthwest Territories, including northern parts of the provinces ofManitoba,Alberta andSaskatchewan. There are also many burial and archaeological sites inNunavut which are part of the Dënesųłı̨ne group.
The following list ofFirst Nations band governments 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 ofCree and Denesuline members (see theBarren Lands First Nation in Manitoba and theFort McMurray First Nation in Alberta).
There are also many Dene (Dënesųlı̨ne)-speakingMétis communities located throughout the region. The Saskatchewan village ofLa Loche, for example, had 2,300 residents who in the 2011 census identified as speaking Dene (Denesuline) as their native language.[21] About 1,800 of the residents were Métis and about 600 were members of theClearwater River Dene Nation.[22]
15 communities in Canada with Denesuline populations. Flashing dots are villages with over 1,000 speakers.
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'sboreal forest and around the many lakes of their territory. Later, with the emergingNorth American fur trade, they organized into several major regional groups in the vicinity of the Europeantrading 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 theirDene neighbours and to better defend themselves against their rifle-armedCree enemies, who were advancing to thePeace River andLake Athabasca.
Kés-ye-hot!ínne (K'ësyëhót'ı̨ne) ('aspen house they-dwell' or 'poplar house they-dwell') lived on the upper reaches of theChurchill River, along theLac Île-à-la-Crosse,Methye Portage,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 withPoplar orAspen wood.
Hoteladi Hótthę̈nádé dëne ('northern people') lived north of theKés-ye-hot!ínne betweenCree Lake, west ofReindeer Lake on the south and on the east shore of Lake Athabasca in the north.
Hâthél-hot!inne (Hátthëlót'ı̨ne) ('lowland they-dwell') lived in theReindeer Lake (ɂëtthën tué) region which drains south into the Churchill River.
Kkrest'ayle kke ottine ('dwellers among the quaking aspens' or 'trembling aspen people') lived in the boreal forests betweenGreat Slave Lake in the south andGreat Bear Lake in the north.
Sayisi Dene (Saı́yısı́ dëne) (orSaw-eessaw-dinneh - 'people of the east') traded atFort Chipewyan. Their hunting and tribal areas extended betweenLake 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 centred along the easternFond-du-Lac area.
Des-nèdhè-kkè-nadè (Dësnëdhé k'e náradé dëne) (Desnedekenade,Desnedhé hoį́é nadé hot'įnę́ - 'people along the great river') were also known asAthabasca Chipewyan. They lived between Great Slave Lake and Lake Athabasca along the Slave River nearFort Resolution (Denı́nu Kų́ę́[25] — 'moose 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 toCold Lake andLac La Biche in the southwest.[26]
Tandzán-hot!ínne (Tálzą́hót'ı̨ne) ('dwellers at the dirty lake', also known asDení-nu-eke-tówe - 'moose island up lake-on') lived on the northern shore ofGreat Slave Lake and along theYellowknife River, and before their expulsion by theTłı̨chǫ along theCoppermine River. They were often regarded as a Chipewyan group, but form as "Yellowknives" historically an independent First Nation and called themselvesT'atsaot'ine (T'átsąnót'ı̨ne).
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.[39] Name andHQ,[40] reserves and area,[41] population (February 2025)[42]
Headquarters are in the Northwest Territories but all reserves are in Alberta.Tthebacha meaning "beside the rapids" is the traditional Dene name for Fort Smith.[25] Tribal council, name andHQ,[46] reserves and area,[47] population (February 2025)[48]
Formerly known asFort Resolution Dene.Denı́nu Kų́ę́ translates as "moose island place"[25] andDeneh-noo-kweh as "People of moose island"' Tribal council, name andHQ,[58] reserves and area,[59] population (February 2025)[60]
Formerly known as the Snowdrift Band.Łútsę̀lk'é translates as "place of the łútsę̀l", a type of small fish known as a cisco (Coregonus artedi).[25] Tribal council, name andHQ,[61] reserves and area,[62] population (February 2025)[63]
Tthebatthıe 196, formerly Fitzgerald No. 196, is located in Alberta. Tribal council, name andHQ,[64] reserves and area,[65] population (February 2025)[66]
The reserve is about 84 km (52 mi) northwest ofÎle-à-la-Crosse (Kuę́). Tribal council, name andHQ,[70] reserves and area,[71] population (February 2025)[72]
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 byBeauval had traditionally lived down river. Tribal council, name andHQ,[76] reserves and area,[77] population (February 2025)[78]
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation.Footprints on the Land: Tracing the Path of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. Fort Chipewyan, Alta: Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, 2003.ISBN0-9733293-0-0
Birket-Smith, Kaj.Contributions to Chipewyan Ethnology. Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1930.
Bone, Robert M., Earl N. Shannon, and Stewart Raby.The Chipewyan of the Stony Rapids Region; A Study of Their Changing World with Special Attention Focused Upon Caribou. Mawdsley memoir, 1. Saskatoon: Institute for Northern Studies, University of Saskatchewan, 1973.ISBN0-88880-003-7
Bussidor, Ila, Usten Bilgen-Reinart. "Night Spirits: The Story of the Relocation of the Sayisi Dene." University of Manitoba Press, 16 March 2000. (Memoir of a Dene Woman's experiences in Churchill, Manitoba.)
Clayton-Gouthro, Cecile M.Patterns in Transition: Moccasin Production and Ornamentation of the Janvier Band Chipewyan. Mercury series. Hull, Quebec: Canadian Museum of Civilization, 1994.ISBN0-660-14023-3
Cook, Eung-Do. 2006.The Patterns of Consonantal Acquisition and Change in Chipewyan (Dene Suline). International Journal of American Linguistics. 72, no. 2: 236.
Dramer, Kim, and Frank W. Porter.The Chipewyan. New York: Chelsea House, 1996.ISBN1-55546-139-5
Elford, Leon W., and Marjorie Elford.English-Chipewyan Dictionary. Prince Albert, Sask: Northern Canada Evangelical Mission, 1981.
Goddard, Pliny Earle.Texts and Analysis of Cold Lake Dialect, Chipewyan. Anthropological papers of the American Museum of Natural History, v. 10, pt. 1–2. New York: Published by order of the Trustees [of the American Museum of Natural History], 1912.
Grant, J. C. Boileau.Anthropometry of the Chipewyan and Cree Indians of the Neighbourhood of Lake Athabaska. Ottawa: F.A. Acland, printer, 1930.
Human Relations Area Files, inc.Chipewyan ND07. EHRAF collection of ethnography. New Haven, Conn: Human Relations Area Files, 2001.
Irimoto, Takashi.Chipewyan Ecology: Group Structure and Caribou Hunting System. Senri ethnological studies, no. 8. Suita, Osaka, Japan: National Museum of Ethnology, 1981.
Li, Fang-kuei, and Ronald Scollon.Chipewyan Texts. Nankang, Taipei: Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica, 1976.
Lowie, Robert Harry.Chipewyan Tales. New York: The Trustees, 1912.
Paul, Simon.Introductory Chipewyan: Basic Vocabulary. Saskatoon: Indian and Northern Education, University of Saskatchewan, 1972.
Scollon, Ronald, and Suzanne B. K. Scollon.Linguistic Convergence: An Ethnography of Speaking at Fort Chipewyan, Alberta. New York: Academic Press, 1979.ISBN0-12-633380-7
Shapiro, Harry L.The Alaskan Eskimo; A Study of the Relationship between the Eskimo and the Chipewyan Indians of Central Canada. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1931.
Sharp, Henry S.Chipewyan Marriage. Mercury series. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada, 1979.
Sharp, Henry S.The Transformation of Bigfoot: Maleness, Power, and Belief Among the Chipewyan. Smithsonian series in ethnographic inquiry. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1988.ISBN0-87474-848-8
VanStone, James W.The Changing Culture of the Snowdrift Chipewyan. Ottawa: [Queen's Printer], 1965.
Wilhelm, Andrea.Telicity and Durativity: A Study of Aspect in Dëne Sųłiné (Chipewyan) and German. New York: Routledge, 2007.ISBN0-415-97645-6
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