Sekani
The Sekani, also known as Tse'khene, are an Indigenous group historically located in northern British Columbia, with four distinct bands recognized in the early nineteenth century: Tsekani, Yutuwichan, Sasuchan, and Tseloni. Their traditional territory included the Finlay and Parsnip tributaries of the Peace River, where they engaged in hunting and trapping activities, primarily targeting game such as caribou, moose, and bison. Sekani people constructed seasonal shelters, including conical lodges in winter and lean-tos or windbreaks in summer, and relied on spruce-bark canoes for transportation and trade after European contact began in the late 18th century.
The first substantial European contact occurred in 1793 with explorer Alexander Mackenzie, followed by the establishment of Fort Connelly in 1826 for fur trading. The introduction of Christianity, especially Catholicism by 1870, significantly influenced the Sekani, leading to a majority conversion by the early 20th century. The population faced severe declines due to disease and conflict during events like the Omineca gold rush in the 1860s, with numbers plummeting to just seventy by 1916. Despite some recovery, modern developments like the W. A. C. Bennett Dam in the 1960s caused further displacement. Today, the remnants of the Sekani are represented by three bands: Kwadacha Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, and Tsay Keh Dene Nation, with some members of the Takla Lake First Nation also tracing their heritage to the Sekani.
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Sekani
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Subarctic
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Athabaskan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Mackenzie River drainage basin, British Columbia
- POPULATION SIZE: 650, The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2024)
Four regional bands of Sekani (also spelled Tse'khene, Tsek'ene, or Tsek'ehne) are known to have existed in the early nineteenth century: the Tsekani, the Yutuwichan, the Sasuchan, and the Tseloni. Each band inhabited a particular region of the Sekani's traditional hunting and trading grounds, which centered on the Finlay and Parsnip tributaries of the Peace River in northern British Columbia. The Sekani were primarily hunters of caribou, moose, mountain sheep and goats, bison, and wapiti, as well as trappers of all fur-bearing animals. Their territorial waters were devoid of salmon but did contain whitefish, trout, and suckers. Traditionally, the Sekani built no permanent dwellings; winter shelters were typically conical lodges covered with spruce bark or moose hide, while in the summer, they built lean-tos or open-topped windbreaks of hide, bark, or brush. Transportation was primarily by foot, but spruce-bark canoes were used for spring and summer hunting and, after the Sekani had established contact with Europeans, for transporting trade furs.
In 1793, Alexander Mackenzie became the first European to contact the Sekani. Fort Connelly was built in 1826 to facilitate the trading of furs and other items with the Sekani and other, more westerly groups. The Iroquois and other Indigenous groups helped the spread of Christianity, which later developed into messianic cults. Catholicism was introduced in 1870; by 1924, most Sekani members were Roman Catholic.
The Omineca gold rush of the 1860s nearly destroyed the Sekani, reducing their numbers through disease and conflict; in 1916, the reported population remaining in Sekani territory was just seventy. While the population increased again over the following century, the construction of the W. A. C. Bennett Dam in the 1960s flooded great tracts of Sekani land and necessitated the removal of several intact Sekani groups.
In modern times, there are three remaining Sekani bands: the Kwadacha Nation, the McLeod Lake Indian Band, and the Tsay Keh Dene Nation, all located in the Northern Interior of British Columbia. In addition, while the Takla Lake First Nation identifies as Dakelh (or Carrier), many members are of Sekani descent.
Bibliography
Denniston, Glenda. "Sekani." Handbook of North American Indians, edited by William C. Sturtevant, vol. 6, Smithsonian Institution, 1981, pp. 433-441.
McMillan, Alan D., and Eldon Yellowhorn. First Peoples in Canada. 3rd ed., Douglas, 2004.
Pritzker, Barry M. "Sekani." A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford University Press, 2000, pp. 510–12.
“Sekani.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, 12 Dec. 2024, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sekani. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
“Tsay Keh Dene Nation.” Native Ministries International, data.nativemi.org/tribal-directory/Details/tsay-keh-dene-nation-1704626. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
"Tse'khene." First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia, maps.fpcc.ca/languages/tse%E2%80%99khene. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.