Kaska

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Parts of the settlement area of ​​the Kaska (bright, in the southeast) u. a. First Nations in the Yukon Territory and neighborhood before the arrival of Europeans. Map (Russian) of the Lomonosov University's Linguarium project .

The Kaska , Kaska Dena or Denek'éh ("people", "people") are an Indian first nation of the Northern (Athabasken) Dene , whose traditional tribal area Dene Kēyeh ("Kaska Dena Land") was once about 240,000 km² in northern British Columbia , the southeast of Yukon and the southwest of the Northwest Territories in northwest Canada .

Together with the culturally and linguistically closely related Tagish (Tagish Khwáan) and Tahltan who lived between the Yukon River and Mackenzie River as well as in the valley of the Liard River , the Kaska Dena were earlier often called Nahanni / Nahani ("People Over There Far Away") or as Mackenzie Mountain Peoples - mostly including the Mountain Dene (Shihgot'ine) of the North Slavey (Sahtu Dene) and the South Slavey (Deh Cho Dene) .

However, since such diverse peoples as the T'aaku Kwáan the Tlingit (Lingit) , the Pelly River Northern Tutchone , the Tsetsaut (Wetaɬ) and the Sekani (Tsek'ene) and Daneẕaa were called Nahanni , it is often difficult in the historical sources distinguish the individual tribes from one another.

history

The Kaska Dena or Denek'éh had a famous female chief named Nahanni Chief who successfully defied a powerful Tlingit (Lingit) chief named Shakes to protect the life of a merchant and explorer and his crew.

In 1964, anthropologist JJ Honingmann identified five regional bands that had typical hunter-gatherer territories around Ross River (YT), Faro (YT), Watson Lake (YT), Lower Post (BC) and Dease Lake (BC). The five regional bands comprised between 50 to 100 people and were in turn divided into several local groups of six to 30 members (Murdock and others 1962), the composition of which was very fluid, as the Kaska Dena were characterized by the individuality typical of all athabasques . It is therefore estimated that the Kaska Dena originally numbered around 500 tribe members.

  • Tu tcogotena (Tu'tcogotena) or Tu cho gha nugga dhal : The Tu tcogotena ("residents / people on the big water") lived east of the Espatodena mainly in the area around Tū Chō ( Frances Lake ) and Tū Chō Tūé ( Frances River ) in the Yukon Territory (YT) , but their area extended south to Bath-o-too-a ("dangerous river, i.e. the Hyland River ") and Smith River in British Columbia (BC) (both the Frances River, Hyland River and Smith River are left tributaries of the Liard River ). They also hunted in the areas along the Too-Ti (Liard River) and Tū Chō Tūé ( Dease River ). Also known as McDame Post Kaska or Fort McDame Kaska , as they were trading at the McDame Post (Fort McDame) trading post (at the confluence of McDame Creek and Dease River); also referred to as Frances Lake Kaska in some sources .
  • Espatodena ((E) spa'totena) or Espa tah dena : The Espatodena ("inhabitants / people among wild goats") lived east of the Tu tcogotena , populated and roamed mainly the area north of the Tsa Tue ( Beaver River , YT and BC ) and the South Nahanni River (NT and YT). They also hunted at the confluence of the Atsonne Tue ("elk-dung water river, i.e. the Coal River ") and Tyagacho ("large river, i.e. the Liard River"). According to the Kaska History and Cultural Research Training Project (1997) , this band was also known as the Gata otena ("people who hunt rabbits").
  • Naatitu a gotena (Natitu? A'gotena) or Na aw ti to a gotena : The Naatitu a gotena ("inhabitants / people of a (high) steep mountain where a small river begins") lived mainly along Net I Tue (the upper reaches of the Liard River, YT) south to the canyon above Daelyu ("a place where we gather to trade, i.e., Lower Post", BC). To the west of their territory were the Cassiar Mountains (named after the Kaska Dena), to the east the Simpson Range. Seasonally they went on hikes to the salmon runs on Tu disdis Tue ("you can see clearly into the deep water, i.e. the Pelly River "), they also fished along the Tuts Algua ( Watson Lake ) or Lu cho , and game was caught along the Agedze Do ("too much game, i.e. the Hyland River") hunted. Since their trading center was traditionally at Daelyu , the trading post "Lower Post" was officially opened there in 1876 and it is therefore also called Lower Post Kaska ; in some sources also referred to as Upper Liard Kaska .
  • Ki stagotena (Ki'stagotena) or Tsetotena (Tsay tow tena): The Ki-Stagotena ("inhabitants / people of the mountains") lived south and southeast of the Natitu a gotena and traditionally inhabited the valleys of the Dease River (right tributary of the Liard River ), from Net I do north to the north shore of Dease Lake in BC. Ki stagotena families who lived along Duna za ("pure place where people stay, i.e. McDames Post") above the confluence with the Tū Chō Tūé (Dease River) were also known as Ozanna ("people of the same blood", " Blood relatives ") known. Also known as the Dease River Kaska .
  • Tse lona (Tse'lona) or Tsay lona : The Tse lona ("inhabitants / people of the mountain tops", also: "inhabitants / people at the point where the end of the world is") lived south and east of the Ki stagotena , especially along the headwaters and valleys of the rivers in the Rocky Mountain Trench and from the Kechika Ranges (part of the Cassiar Mountains) to the areas on the Toad River and northwards to the Flat River (right tributary of the South Nahanni River ) in BC. Some Tse lona families were also known as Tse Ts iyinetena / Tse Tsiyinetena ("wolf people / wolf people of the mountains"). Also known as (Fort) Nelson Kaska , as they once traded at the Fort Nelson Trading Post (near the confluence of the Fort Nelson River , Muskwa River and Prophet River ).

The Espatodena ("residents / people among wild goats") were the northernmost band, the Tu tcogotena ("residents / people on the big water") lived to the south, and the Naatitu a gotena ("residents / people of a (high) craggy mountain ") grazed southeast , where a small river begins "), of these in the southwest lived the Ki-Stagotena (" inhabitants / people of the mountains ") and in the southeast the Tse lona (" inhabitants / people of the mountain tops ", also:" inhabitants / people at the point , where the end of the world is ").

Today's Kaska First Nations

Today there are four officially recognized (for the Kaska Dena five ) First Nations (often called bands in Canada ) of the Kaska Dena with approx. 2500 to 3000 tribal members, which the Kaska Dena Council and the Ross River Dena Council oppose to the Canadian government (Population data as of March 2020, source: Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada):

Canada - Yukon

Independent First Nation

Kaska Dena Council

  • Liard First Nation (also Liard River First Nation , descendants of the Hés tʼat gudene - "residents / people in the midst of the mountains"), the administrative seat is the city of Watson Lake (also called the "gateway to the Yukon River "), near the Liard River , which together with Upper Liard - both located on the Alaska Highway - is the most important settlement in the First Nation, and they also live in smaller settlements such as Two Mile Village and Two and One-Half Mile Village on the Robert Campbell Highway (Yukon Highway 4) , their nine reservations are mostly in the southeast of the Yukon Territory, but also some land parcels in neighboring British Columbia, which are nowinhabitedby the Daylu Dena Council , reserves: Blue River # 1, Dease River # 2, Dease River # 3, Horse Ranch Pass # 4, Liard River # 3, McDames Creek # 2, Mosquito Creek # 5, Muddy River # 1, One Mile Point # 1, approx. 14.80 km², population: 1,217)

Canada - British Columbia

Kaska Dena Council

  • Kwadacha Nation (formerly Fort Ware Indian Band , the First Nation consists of both Sekani (Tsek'ene) and Kaska Dena , the main settlement and administrative seat is Fort Ware (now called Kwadacha) in the most populous reservation Fort Ware # 1, on the left bank of the Finlay River , approx. 3 km west of the confluence with the Kwadacha and Fox Rivers, approx. 570 km north of Prince George in British Columbia in the Rocky Mountain Trench , Reserves: Fort Ware # 1, Sucker Lake # 2, Weissener Lake # 3, approx. 4 km², population: 560, of which outside the reserve: 270)
  • Dease River First Nation (also Dease River Nation is a First Nation in Cassiar Country in the interior of Northern British Columbia, its administrative seat is Good Hope Lake on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway (Dease Lake Highway) east of the now abandoned mining town Cassiar, Reserves: Dease River # 1, # 2, # 3, # 4, approx. 0.8 km², split off from the Liard First Nation in 1994, population: 185)
  • Daylu Dena Council (also Lower Post First Nation , administrative seat is Lower Post (Daylu) on Highway 97, the Alaska Highway , about 23 km southeast of the city of Watson Lake (also known as the "gateway to the Yukon River ") in Yukon, there also go the children to school and there is also buying for daily needs, but Canada is not recognized as a band (First nation), but only as a reserve of the Liard First nation Yukon, represented by a so-called. Deputy Chief , population: 300 )

There are also some Kaska Dena (between Watson Lake and Fort Nelson on the Alaska Highway ) in the parishes of Fireside , Muncho Lake on the south shore of Muncho Lake ("large lake" in Muncho Lake Provincial Park ) and in the parish of Toad River on the lower reaches of the Toad River ( Tsal-eh-chesi ) in British Columbia, members of the following First Nation:

Treaty 8 Tribal Association

  • Fort Nelson First Nation (also: Fort Nelson Slavey Band, Fort Nelson Indian Band , in the Northern Rockies Regional District in northeast British Columbia, administrative seat / settlement of Fort Nelson at the confluence of the Fort Nelson River , Muskwa River and Prophet River with six main settlements: Tthek 'eneh Kúe (Old Fort), Fontas , Kahntah , Nádudhi Deezé (Snake River), Tlídli (Nelson Forks) and Tli Gohtché (François), mostly South Slavey and Plains Cree , also Kaska Dena families and closely related Sekani and Daneẕaa ( Dunneza or Beaver) , today speak Dene Tha / Dene Zhatıé (South Slavey) or Nēhiyawēwin (Plains Cree), some families also speak Danezaa / Dane-zaa Záágéʔ ; Indian Reserves: Fontas # 1, Fort Nelson # 2, Kahntah # 3, Snake # 5, population: 976)

language

Their language, the Kaska (Dene Zágéʼ), is one of the North Athapaskan languages in northwest Canada and is linguistically so close to the neighboring Tahltan (Tāłtān ẕāke / Dahdzege) the Tahltan and Tagish (Den k'e) the Tagish that some linguists claim , these three languages ​​are actually three divergent, but mutually understandable dialects of a common language (Mithun 1999) and form a dialect continuum (the greater the distance between the places, the greater the differences and, accordingly, communication becomes more difficult.)

  1. Tahltan (Tałtan ẕāke), Dahdzege or didene ẕake (estimated 35 speakers)
  2. Kaska or Dene Zágéʼ (estimated 400 speakers)
  3. Tā̀gish or Den k'e (estimated 2 speakers)

Other linguists consider these different languages.

There are at least six Kaska dialects (or varieties), including the Pelly Banks dialect , the Frances Lake dialect , the Ross River dialect , the Liard dialect , the Lower Liard dialect, and the Good Hope Lake dialect . The dialects differ in some grammatical features, sounds and vocabulary and the mutual intelligibility of the individual dialects is based on their geographical position in relation to one another.

Kaska (Dene Zágéʼ) is spoken today in the Ross River, Watson Lake, and Upper Liard parishes in southeastern Yukon and the Lower Post, Fireside, Good Hope Lake, Dease Lake, and Muncho Lake parishes in northern British Columbia.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Canadian Encyclopedia - Kaska Dena
  2. ^ Kaska Dena Council - Our History
  3. ^ Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada - First Nations Profile
  4. ^ Ross River Dena Council
  5. ↑ First Voices - Denek'éh / Kaska Home Page
  6. ↑ ROSS RIVER DENA COUNCIL - COMMUNITY OF ROSS RIVER
  7. ^ Kaska Dena Council
  8. ^ Liard First Nation
  9. ↑ Kwadacha Nation
  10. ^ British Columbia Assembly of First Nations - Daylu Dena Council
  11. ^ Treaty 8 Tribal Association
  12. ↑ Fort Nelson First Nation
  13. ↑ Omniglot - Kaska (Dene Zágéʼ)
  14. ^ The University of British Columbia - Kaska Language Website