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|langs=[[English language|English]], [[Carrier language|Dakelh]]
|rels= [[Animism]]
|related=Other [[Dene]]|Dene peoples]]<br/>Especially [[Wet'suwet'en]], [[Babine]], [[Tsilhqotʼin]], and [[Sekani people|Sekani]]
}}
The '''Dakelh''' (pronounced {{IPA-ath|tákʰɛɬ|}}) or '''Carrier''' are the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous people]] of a large portion of the [[British Columbia Interior|Central Interior]] of [[British Columbia]], Canada. Another name the Dakelh/Carrier call themselves is '''Yinka Dene''' ("the people on the land"), the Babine-Witsuwitʼen-speaking bands prefer the equivalent '''Yinka Whut'en''' ("the people on the land").<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Yinka Déné Language Institute |url=http://www.ydli.org/ydindex.htm |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=www.ydli.org}}</ref>
The [[Dakelh]] people are a [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] people of the [[British Columbia Interior|Central Interior of British Columbia]], Canada, for whom Carrier has been a common English name derived from French explorers naming of the people. Dakelh people speak two related languages. One, [[Babine-Witsuwit'en]] is sometimes referred to as ''Northern Carrier''. The other includes what are sometimes referred to as ''Central Carrier'' and ''Southern Carrier''.
The "Carrier" name was derived from an English translation of ''Aghele'', the name from the neighbouring [[Sekani|Sekani (Tsek'ehne)]] ("people of the rocks or mountains", Lht'at'en / Lht'at'enne, '''ᒡᗧᗥᐣ''') for Dakelh people. Sekani people played an important role in the early period of contact between the fur traders and Dakelh people because some Sekani people could speak both Dakelh and Cree and served as interpreters between the fur traders and Dakelh people.
They call themselvesThe '''"Dakelh / Dakelh-ne"''' ('''ᑕᗸᒡ''', people who “travel upon water”, lit. "people who travel by boat early in the morning", a [[Synaeresis]] of '''uda ukelh''' and '''ne'''),. and add theThe suffixes '''-xwoten''', “people of” or '''-t’en''', “people” to village names or locations to refer to specific groups (e.g., Tl’azt’en, Wet’suwet’en). the '''[[Wetʼsuwetʼen]]''' (Whutsot'en, '''ᗘᙢᗥᐣ''', "People of the Wet'sinkwha/Wa Dzun Kwuh River, i.e. Bulkley River", lit: "People of the blue and green River"; also known as ''Western Carrier'') and '''[[Babine|Babine (Nadot'en)]]''' (Nadot'enne, '''ᘇᑎᗥᐣ''', "Lake Babine People"; also known as ''Northern Carrier'') peoples are a branch of the Dakelh/Carrier people, and have been referred to as the ''Western Carrier''.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} They speak ''Witsuwitʼen'' or ''Babine/Nedut'en'', dialects of the [[Babine-Witsuwitʼen language]] which, like its sister [[Carrier language|Dakelh language]], is a member of the Central British Columbia branch of the [[Northern Athabaskan languages]]. They belong to the [[Dene|Northern Athabascan]] or [[Dene]] peoples (''Dené'' is the common Athabaskan word for "people").
Another name the Dakelh/Carrier proper call themselves is '''Yinka Dene''' ("the people on the land"), the Babine-Witsuwitʼen-speaking bands prefer the equivalent '''Yinka Whut'en''' ("the people on the land").<ref>[http://www.ydli.org/ydindex.htm The Yinka Déné Language Institute]</ref>
==Geography==
Dakelh territories called [[Keyoh]], include the area along [[Fraser River]] (''Lhtakoh'' -– "rivers within one another"<ref>‟waters within each other”, due to the fact that for a considerable distance after the Nechako enters the Fraser one can see the distinct streams, which differ in colour due to the different amounts of silt they carry.</ref>) from north of [[Prince George, British Columbia|Prince George]] (''Lheidli'' -– "confluence") to south of [[Quesnel, British Columbia|Quesnel]] and including the [[Barkerville, British Columbia|Barkerville]]-[[Wells, British Columbia|Well]]s area, the [[Nechako Country]], the areas around [[Stuart Lake]] (''Nak'albun'' -– "Mount Pope lake"), [[Trembleur Lake]] (''Dzinghubun'' -– "day after lake"), [[Takla Lake]] (''Khelhghubun'' -– "load after lake"), [[Fraser Lake, British Columbia|Fraser Lake]] (''Nadlehbun'' -– "(fish) run lake"), and [[Babine Lake]], the [[Bulkley Valley]], and the region along the [[West Road River]], west to the [[Hazelton Mountains]] and the [[Kitimat Ranges]] of the [[Coast Mountains]], including the [[Kluskus Lakes]] (''Lhoosk'uz'' -– "Rocky Mountain whitefish place"), [[Ootsa Lake]] (''Oosa Bunk'ut'' -– "bucket lake"), the [[Quanchus Range|Quanchus]] and [[Fawnie Range]]s, and [[Cheslatta Lake]] (''Tsetl'adak Bunk'ut'' -– "Peak Rock Lake").
Dakelh territories are for the most part sub-boreal forest, dotted with numerous lakes. There are numerous rivers, all ultimately draining into the [[Pacific Ocean]], mostly via the Fraser River. The climate is continental, with cold winters during which the rivers and lakes freeze over and a short growing season. The area is hilly, with mountains of modest size. The [[Rocky Mountains]] form the eastern boundary of the Dakelh territories, but the Dakelh are not very familiar with the foothills because that area in recent times has been occupied by the [[Cree]] (Dushina, '''ᑐᙘᘇ'''). Part of the [[Coast Mountains]] and [[Hazelton Mountains]] fall within Wit'suwit'en territory. Farther south, 'Ulkatcho people share the Coast Range with the [[Coast Salish]] [[Nuxalk|Nuxalkmc (Bella Coola)]] and the northern [[Chilcotin Plateau]] with [[Northern Athabaskan languages|Northern Athabaskan speaking]] strong warrior nation (with political influence from the Similkameen region in the south (of British Columbia), the Pacific coast in the west, and the Rocky Mountains in the east) [[Tsilhqot'in]] (Chilkot'in, '''ᗘᙢᗥᐣ''').
==Culture==
The traditional Dakelh way of life is based on a seasonal round, with the greatest activity in the summer when berries are gathered and fish caught and preserved. The mainstay of the economy is centered on harvesting activities within each family [[keyoh]] ('''ᗸᘏᑋ''', territory, village, trapline) under the leadership of a hereditary chief, known as a Keyoh holder or keyoh-whudachun.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Poser, |first=William J. (2010) |title=Saik'uz Whut'en Hubughunek (Stoney Creek Carrier Lexicon). |date=2010 |publisher=Saik'uz First Nation Sixth |edition=6th}}</ref> Fish, especially the several varieties of [[salmon]], are [[Smoking (cooking)|smoked]] and stored for the winter in large numbers. Hunting and trapping of [[mule deer|deer]], [[caribou]], [[moose]], [[elk]], [[American black bear|black bear]], [[beaver]], and [[rabbit]] provided meat, fur for clothing, and bone for tools. Other fur-bearing animals are trapped to some extent, but until the advent of the [[fur trade]], such trapping is a minor activity. With the exception of berries and the sap and cambium of the [[lodgepole pine]], plants play a relatively minor role as food, though the sacredness of plants are appreciated by Dakelh people. The Dakelhe are familiar with and occasionally use a variety of edible plants. Plants are used extensively for medicine. Winter activity is more limited, with some hunting, trapping, and fishing under the ice. Although many Dakelh now have jobs and otherwise participate in the non-traditional economy, fish, game, and berries still constitute a major portion of the diet.
The Dakelh engaged in extensive trade with the coast along trails known as "grease trails". The items exported consisted primarily of hides, dried meat, and mats of dried berries. Imports consisted of various marine products, the most important of which was "grease", the oil extracted from [[eulachon]]s (also known as "candlefish") by allowing them to rot, adding boiling water, and skimming off the oil. This oil is extremely nutritious and, unlike many other fats, contains desirable fatty acids. Other important imports were smoked eulachons and dried [[Porphyra|red laver seaweed]]. "Grease" and smoked eulachons are still considered by many to be delicacies and are prized gifts from visitors from the west. The route by which Sir [[Alexander Mackenzie (explorer)|Alexander MacKenzie]] and his party reached the Pacific Ocean in 1793 in the first crossing of [[North America]] by land was, from the Fraser River westward, a grease trail. Other examples include the [[Cheslatta Trail]] and the [[Nyan Wheti]].
===[[Ethnobotany]]===
====Plants used in cuisine====
They use the berries of [[Vaccinium vitis-idaea]] to make jam.<ref>Carrier{{Cite Linguistic Committee, 1973,book |title=Plants of Carrier Country, |date=1973 |publisher=Carrier Linguistic Committee |location=Fort St. James, BC. Carrier Linguistic Committee, page |pages=76}}</ref>
====Plants used medicinally====
They take a [[decoction]] of the entire plant of [[Viola adunca]] for stomach pain.<ref>Smith, Harlan I., 1929, Materia Medica of the Bella Coola and Neighboring Tribes of British Columbia, National Museum of Canada Bulletin 56:47-6847–68, page 60</ref> The Southern Carrier use a strong [[decoction]] of the root of [[Orthilia]] as an eyewash.<ref>Smith, Harlan I., 1929, Materia Medica of the Bella Coola and Neighboring Tribes of British Columbia, National Museum of Canada Bulletin 56:47-6847–68, page 62</ref>
A full list of their ethnobotany can be found at http://naeb.brit.org/uses/tribes/27/, http://naeb.brit.org/uses/tribes/28/, and http://naeb.brit.org/uses/tribes/29/.
In 1951, Borden began survey and excavation of the site and returned to work there every summer until he retired in 1970. His final article published in ''[[Science (magazine)|Science]]'' in 1979 was based on excavations of early microblade assemblages at [[Namu, British Columbia|Namu]] in 1977.
== Dakelh (Carrier) Language ==
The Carrier people speak the [[Carrier language]], which is endangered.
==[[First Nations in Canada|Bands]]==
==Bibliography==
* {{Cite book |last=Birchwater, |first=Sage (1991). |title='Ulkatchot'en : Thethe Peoplepeople of Ulkatcho. Anahim|publisher=Ulkatcho Lake:Cultural UlkatchoCurriculum IndianDevelopment Band.Committee |others=Illustrated by Ronald Cahoose. |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-9695308-0-0 |location=Anahim Lake}}
* {{Cite book |last=Birchwater, |first=Sage (1991). ''|title=Ulkatcho: Stories of the Grease Trail''. Anahim|publisher=Ulkatcho Lake:Cultural UlkatchoCurriculum IndianDevelopment Band.Committee |others=Illustrated by Ronald Cahoose. |year=1991 |location=Anahim Lake, BC}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Brown, |first=Doug (|year=2002). "|title=Carrier Sekani Self-Government in Context: Land and Resources," ''|url=http://geog.uvic.ca/dept/wcag/brown.pdf |journal=Western Geography'', |volume=12:21 |pages=21–67 |archive-67url=https://web. [archive.org/web/20170811201658/http://www.geog.uvic.ca/dept/wcag/brown.pdf PDF]|archive-date=2017-08-11}}
* {{Cite book |last=Furniss, |first=Elizabeth (1993). ''|title=Dakelh [[Keyoh]]keyoh: The Southern Carrier in Earlier Times''. Quesnel: |publisher=Quesnel School District. |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-9693638-8-0 |location=Quesnel, BC}}
* {{Cite book |last=Furniss, |first=Elizabeth (1993). ''|title=Changing Ways: Southern Carrier History 1793-1940''. Quesnel: |publisher=Quesnel School District. |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-9693638-9-7 |location=Quesnel, BC}}
* {{Cite book |last=Goldman |first=Irving |title=Acculturation in Seven American Indian Tribes |publisher=Appleton-Century |year=1940 |editor-last=Linton |editor-first=Ralph |location=New York |pages=333–389 |chapter=The Alkatcho Carrier of British Columbia |lccn=40003756}}
* Goldman, Irving (1940). "The Alkatcho Carrier of British Columbia," in Linton, Ralph (ed.) ''Acculturation in Seven American Indian Tribes''. New York: Appleton-Century pp. 333–389
* {{Cite book |last=Hall, |first=Lizette (1992). ''|title=The Carrier, My People''. Published|publisher=Lizette atHall Quesnel,|year=1992 British|isbn=978-0-9696211-0-2 Columbia by the|location=Quesnel, author.BC}}
* {{Cite thesis |last=Hudson, |first=Douglas R. (1983). |title=Traplines and Timber: Social and Economic Change among the Carrier Indians of British Columbia. (Ph.D.|degree=PhD dissertation, |publisher=University of Alberta, |year=1983 |location=Edmonton).}}
* {{Cite book |last=Tobey, |first=Margaret L. (1981). "Carrier" in June Helm (ed.) ''|title=Handbook of North American Indians: Volume|publisher=Smithsonian Institution |year=1981 |editor-last=Helm |editor-first=June |volume=6.: Subarctic''. (|location=Washington:, SmithsonianDC Institution)|pages=413–432 pp. 413–432.|chapter=Carrier}}
==Citation==
==References==
*{{citationCite web |last=Carlson |first=Roy L. |year=1978 |title=Charles E Borden |url=http://canadianarchaeology.com/caa/about/awards/smith-wintemberg/recipients/charles-e-borden|publisher=Canadian Archaeological Association|title=Charles E Borden|year=1978|first=Roy L.|last=Carlson|access-date=3 December 2013 |publisher=Canadian Archaeological Association}}
*{{citationCite journal |last=Knickerbocker |first=Madeline |year=2012 |title=Review of Susan Roy's These Mysterious People: Shaping History and Archaeology in a Northwest Coast Community|last=Knickerbocker|first=Madeline |url=http://www.bcstudies.com/reviews.php?id=838673|journal=BC Studies|number=174|year=2012|url-status=dead |issue=174 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215070312/http://www.bcstudies.com/reviews.php?id=838673 |archive-date=2013-12-15 |work=BC Studies}}
*{{citationCite book |titlelast=TheseRoy Mysterious|first=Susan People Shaping History and Archaeology in a Northwest Coast Community|url=http://www.mqup.ca/these-mysterious-people-products-9780773537217.php?page_id=46#sthash.SiWRcfyK.dpuf |title=These Mysterious People Shaping History and Archaeology in a Northwest Coast Community |date=October 2010 |publisher=McGill/Queen's University Press|pages=240 |isbn=9780773537217|date=October 2010|firstpages=Susan|last=Roy240}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Dakelh}}
* [https://www.csfns.ca/ Carrier Sekani First Nations]
* [http://www.ydli.org/biblios/ccultbib.htm Bibliography of Materials on Carrier Culture and History]
* {{CathEncy|wstitle=Takkali}}
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