Dane-zaa
The Dane-zaa, also known as the Beaver, are an Indigenous people primarily located in northeastern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia, Canada. They are part of the Athabaskan language group and traditionally lived along the Peace River in three composite bands. Central to their culture is the bilaterally extended family group, which relies on a subsistence lifestyle based on hunting and gathering, with game such as bison, woodland caribou, moose, beaver, and hares forming the basis of their economy and worldview.
Historically, the Dane-zaa faced displacement from their lands due to conflicts with the Cree and later European settlers, leading to significant cultural and lifestyle changes. The establishment of fur trading in the late 18th century and the influence of missionaries in the 19th century further altered their social dynamics. While treaties in the early 20th century established reserves, subsequent encroachments by settlers and infrastructure development, such as the Alaskan Highway, greatly impacted their traditional way of life.
Today, despite challenges, the Dane-zaa community is actively engaged in preserving their language and cultural heritage through initiatives led by First Nations groups like the Doig River First Nation and the Halfway River First Nation. These groups provide essential social services and promote the survival of Dane-zaa traditions and identity, with many still speaking their Indigenous language. The total population is approximately 1,310, with efforts ongoing to revitalize their cultural practices.
On this Page
Dane-zaa
- CATEGORY: Tribe/First Nations
- CULTURE AREA: Subarctic
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Athabaskan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Northeastern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia, Canada
- POPULATION SIZE: 1,310 (Statistics Canada, 2024); 3,600 (Halfway River First Nations, 2024)
The Dane-zaa, who were named the Beaver by early explorers, lived as three composite bands along the Peace River; their fundamental socioeconomic unit was the bilaterally extended family group, which was dependent upon bison, woodland caribou, moose, beaver, and hares. Their worldview, associated behaviors, and socioeconomic activities emerged from this dependence upon game. Social control, kinship, and traditions were maintained through stories, vision quests, food and behavioral taboos, dreaming, consensus of opinion, and threats of sorcery.
After being forced from their lands by the Cree in the mid-eighteenth century, the Dane-zaa displaced the Sekani on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. They first encountered European settlers in 1793, when Alexander Mackenzie traveled to their territory, and a fur trading post was established there the following year by the Northwest Company. In the nineteenth century, the Dane-zaa became increasingly involved in fur trading and were influenced by Catholic missionaries in 1845.
In 1900, treaties that established reserves were signed. By 1930, European American farmers had settled on most of the Dane-zaa territory, and in 1942, the construction of the Alaskan Highway further disrupted their lives. By the 1960s, most Dane-zaa earned a living by guiding hunters and clearing brush for roads, pipelines, and power lines. Although the number of Athabaskan-speaking Dane-zaa has declined, some traditions remain viable, including their Indigenous language, which many remaining Dane-zaa still speak. Most remaining Dane-zaa reside in Alberta and British Columbia. The Dane-zaa are represented by several First nations groups, including the Doig River First Nation (DRFN) and the Halfway River First Nation. The DRFN has created a Language and Heritage Department to ensure the survival of the traditions, language, and culture of the Dane-zaa people. Dane-zaa First Nations groups also provide social services to their members including help with education, housing, employment, childcare, and healthcare.
Bibliography
"About Us." Halfway River First Nation, hrfn.ca/about. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
"Indigenous Ancestry Responses by Single and Multiple Indigenous Ancestry Responses: Canada, Provinces and Territories." Statistique Canada, 26 Oct. 2022, www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810028901. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.
Ridington, Robin. "Dane-zaa (Beaver)." The Canadian Encyclopedia, 10 Oct. 2024, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/beaver-native-group. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Ridington, Robin, and Zach Parrott. "Subarctic Indigenous Peoples in Canada." The Canadian Encyclopedia, 4 Mar. 2015, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/aboriginal-people-subarctic. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Ridington, Robin, Jillian Ridington, Elders of the Dane-zaa First Nations. Where Happiness Dwells; A History of the Dane-zaa First Nations. Vancouver: UBC, 2013.
"Tsáá? Ché Ne Dane Culture." Doig River First Nation, doigriverfn.com/about/our-culture-and-language/our-culture-language. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.