Tribes of the Athabascan Nation

 For some reason the whites have used many of the Athabascan Indians tribes, as a means to force the Anishinabek to lose their Anishinabe identity. I state that because the whites historically recorded that many Athabascan Indian tribes among them, the Chipewyan, Babine, Beaver, Carrier, Dogrib, Slavey once used or still are using the Ojibway syllabic writing system, until the whites forced those tribes to stop speaking in their native language and to use the Roman alphabet. It was in the second half of the 19th century when the whites historically recorded that some of the Athabascan tribes were using the Ojibway syllabic writing system. Athabascan people are obviously partially Anishinabe. They were either first subjugated by the Anishinabe Nation around 1,000 years ago, or it occurred fairly recent. That be about 200 to 300 years ago.


Though that may not appear impressive, it does leave me believing that those Athabascan tribes are really Anishinabe, with an admixture of some Athabascan tribes the Anishinabek conquered on their forced westward expansion after the whites invaded. Prophesy led the Anishinabek to expand towards the west. Today, the Chipewyan, Beaver, Carrier, Dogrib, Slavey and the Tsuu T'inaAthabascans are partly Anishinabe and partly Athabascan. Further westward in the Yukon and Alaska, are many Athabascan tribes who probably originally lived in central Canada, before the Anishinabek commenced to expand westward. They are the gwich'in indians, han indians, holikachuk indians, koyukon indians, tanana indians, tutchone indians, kuskokwim indians, ahtna indians, tanaina indians, chilcotin indians, kaska indians, tahltan indians, tagish indians, sekani indians, tsetsaut indians, clatskanie indians and tlingit indians. Those Athabascan tribes are Athabascans.


There are also Athabascan tribes in California and Oregon including the hupa indians, eyak indians, mattole indians, wailaki indians and kato indians but they are probably Anishinabe as well. Many Anishinabek invaded into the Pacific northwest around 1800, where they settled down in California, Oregon and Washington. However, the whites have forced them to lose their Anishinabe identity.


The Tsuu T'ina
Size of their nation is 109 sq. mi. or 283 sq. km.
Their population is 1,982

The Beaver

When the Anishinabek commenced their expansion westward, one of the first Athabascan tribes they subdued was the Beaver or Dunneza. Their original territory was located in central and northern Alberta and central and northern Saskatchewan. Today, the Beaver are a mixture of Anishinabe and Athabascan. There live in Alberta and British Columbia. The Anishinabek have been forced to lose their Anishinabe identity. Since the Beaver were once accustomed to using the Ojibway syllabics, that tells the Anishinabe people that the Beaver are partly Anishinabe. Since the Beaver live in areas where few white people live, i will not include the sizes of their Reserves, because the whites left them with huge areas of land in northern Alberta and northern British Columbia, as fishing and hunting lands. That land probably covers over 100,000 sq. mi. Beaver First Nations are as follows.


Child Lake - Alberta
Boyer - Alberta
Clear Hills - Alberta
Horse Lake - Alberta

Prophet River - British Columbia
Beaton River - British Columbia
Doig River - British Columbia
Blueberry River - British Columbia
West Moberly Lake - British Columbia

The Carrier including Babine, Chilcotin, Nicola and the Tsetsaut

Today, the Carrier Indians live in British Columbia but before the whites invaded they probably lived in central and southern Alberta and central and southern Saskatchewan. They were driven out by the expanding Anishinabek in the 18th century, into central British Columbia. They once were accustomed to using the Ojibway syllabics but were forced to end that relationship. That tells the Anishinabe people that the Carrier are partly Anishinabe. Since the Carrier live in areas in British Columbia where huge areas of land have yet to be settled by the whites, i will not include the sizes of their Reserves, because the whites, by treaty, left them with huge tracts of land as fishing and hunting lands. That land may cover over 100,000 sq. mi. Their First Nations (communities) are as follows.


Burns Lake - British Columbia
Cheslatta - British Columbia
Hagwilget - British Columbia
Lake Babine - British Columbia
Kluskus - British Columbia
Lheidli T'enneh - British Columbia
Moricetown - British Columbia
Nadleh Whut'en - British Columbia
Nak'azdli - British Columbia
Nazko - British Columbia
Nee Tahi Buhn - British Columbia
Red Bluff - British Columbia
Saik'uz - British Columbia
Skin Tyee - British Columbia
Stellat'en - British Columbia
Takla - British Columbia
Tl'azt'en - British Columbia
Ulkatcho - British Columbia
Yekooche - British Columbia
Wet'suwet'en - British Columbia

The Chippewan (Chipewyan)

Originally the Chippewan lived in central and northern Manitoba and parts of what are now the eastern portion of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, north of the Manitoba border. They are really Anishinabe. Parts of Saskatchewan were also Chipewyan land. They were the first Athabascan tribe to be subdued by the expanding Anishinabek. That conquest occurred anywhere between the late 17th century and the first half of the 18th century. However, it probably occurred nearly 1,000 years ago. Since some Chippewan are accustomed to using the Ojibway syllabics, that tells the Anishinabe people that the Chippewan are partly Anishinabe. Since the Chipewyan live in areas where few white people live, i will not include the sizes of the Reserves, because the whites, by treaty, left them with huge areas of land to be used as fishing and hunting lands. That land may cover close to 1,000,000 sq. mi. Included among the Chippewan are the Dogrib people, Gwich'in people, Sahtu people, and Yellowknife people who all, excepting the Gwich'in, speak dialects of Chippewan. Of course, you only need to look at how Chipewyan (Chippewan) is pronounced, to understand that they are in fact Anishinabe. Their First Nations (communities) are as follows.


Cold Lake - Alberta
Fort Chipewyan - Alberta
Fort McKay - Alberta
Fort McMurray - Alberta
Janvier - Alberta

Barrens Land - Manitoba
Churchill - Manitoba
Sayisi Dene - Manitoba
Northlands - Manitoba

Fort Resolution/Deninu Kue - Northwest Territories
Smith's Landing - Northwest Territories
Lutsel K'e - Northwest Territories

Buffalo River - Saskatchewan
Black Lake - Saskatchewan
Clearwater River - Saskatchewan
English River - Saskatchewan
Font Du Lac River - Saskatchewan
Lac La Hache - Saskatchewan
Patunanak - Saskatchewan
Stony Rapids - Saskatchewan
Turnor Lake - Saskatchewan

The Dogrib

These people probably originally lived in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, east of Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake. When the expanding Anishinabek conquered the Chipewyan, they then subdued the Dogrib to the north of the Chipewyans. Since the Dogrib were once accustomed to using the Ojibway syllabics, that tells the Anishinabe people that the Dogrib are partly Anishinabe. The Dogrib recently signed a treaty with Canada which settled a land dispute between the two nations. The Canadians left the Dogrib people (Tli Cho people) with a territory of 15,100 sq. mi. or 39,000 sq. km. Their nation is located between Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake.


The Slavey or Sahtu

Originally the Slavey or Sahtu people, lived to the east but were driven out by the expanding Anishinabek in probably the 18th century. Since the Sahtu people were once accustomed to using the Ojibway syllabics, that tells the Anishinabe people that the Sahtu people are partly Anishinabe. In 1993, Canada and the Sahtu signed an agreement which left the Sahtu people with a territory of 15,999 sq. mi. or 41,437 sq. km. Their nation is located in the western portion of the Northwest Territories.


Gwich'in and Han

These people are obviously partially Anishinabe. The Gwich'in and Han live in Alaska, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon in Canada. They may have originally lived further eastward, before the Anishinabek commenced their westward expansion. They have not, from what i have learned, used the Ojibway syllabic writing system. However, they do have a figure in their ancient folklore who somewhat resembles Nanabozho, who is extremely important to the Algonquians. In the 1992 Gwich'in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, the Gwich'in were left with 21,983 sq. mi. or 56,935 sq. km., in the Northwest Territories. Part of that land is located in the Yukon. There are currently 9,000 Gwich'in. In Alaska, the Gwich'in live in the towns of Arctic Village, Beaver, Birch Creek, Chalkyitsik, Circle, Fort Yukon, and Venetie. You would think the weater is cold year round at those cities but they have warm summers. For an example, at Chalkyitsik which is north of Fairbanks, it is warmer in the summer. The average summer highs in Chalkyitsik are for June, July and August a balmy 71.5, 73.1 and 68.5. Most people think Alaska does not get too hot in the summer but they are wrong obviously.


Ahtna and Tanaina

Native to the State of Alaska, the Ahtna and Tanaina people probably lived further towards the east before the Anishinabek commenced their westward expansion. At the present time the Ahtna Indians of Alaska have 1,770,000 acres or 2,766 sq. mi., or 7,154 sq. km. of land. Their population is around 1,200.


Koyukon including the Deg Hit'an and Holikachuk

These Athabascan people live in the interior of Alaska and are probably members of the Alaska Native Corporation. All may be affiliated with the Doyon region of the Alaska Native Corporation. The tribes which make up Doyon, have total land area of 12.5 million acres, or 18,750 sq. mi., or 48,562 sq. km.


Tahltan including the Kaska and Tagish

These Athabascan people live in British Columbia and the Yukon in Canada. Their population is around 5,000. Their country is a vast one which allows many of these people to continue to fish, hunt, and trap for a living.


Tanana including the Kuskokwim and Tuchone

These Athabascan people live in the interior of Alaska and are probably members of the Alaska Native Corporation. All may be affiliated with the Doyon region of the Alaska Native Corporation. The tribes which make up Doyon, have total land area of 12.5 million acres, or 18,750 sq. mi., or 48,562 sq. km.