The Nadleh Whut'en First Nation is a First Nations government of the Dakelh people, whose territory is located in the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, around the east end of Fraser Lake. The nation has seven reserves which Indian and Northern Affairs Canada refer to as IR#1-9. (Reserves 5 and 6 split from Nadleh Whut'en and make up Stellat'en First Nation. Until 1990, it was referred to as the Fraser Lake Indian Band.
Nadleh Whut'en has 412 registered members, of which half live on reserve. Most of the nation's members reside in Nadleh, the main community, while others (approximately 20) live at in Lejac. Nadleh is located along the banks of the Nautley (Nadleh) river, between Fraser Lake and the Nechako River. Lejac is located on the south side of Fraser Lake, on the site of the former Lejac Residential School.
The school opened in 1922, and housed children from Vancouver to Dease Lake and everywhere in between.
The Nadleh Whut'en speak a dialect of the Carrier language part of the Athapaskan language family. Carrier people refer themselves as Dakelh, which means "people who travel by water."
The nation has one elected government chief and four elected government council members. The Nadleh Whut'en practice the traditional system of balhats (potlatch) and have five clans, whose crests are: Bear, Frog, Caribou, Beaver and Owl.
Their traditional staple foods include salmon, moose, deer, and small game, as well as berries, all of which as still collected by most band members each year for the winter.
Facilities at the Nadleh reserve include:
Facilities in Lejac (IR#4):
Facilities on IR#8
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Pictographs can be found painted granite rocks on the north side of Fraser Lake on IR#2. The drawings depict animals, fish and birds.
Beaumont Provincial Park is located on Nadleh Whut'en's traditional territory, right next to the Nadleh village. It was the original site of Fort Fraser, a North West Company trading post. The first fort was built in 1806, but burned down and was later moved onto today's Nadleh reserve.
In September 2006, archaeologists uncovered an axe head near the Nadleh River and estimated it to be over 1,000 years old. There are also the remains of a fishing weir in the Nadleh river, estimated to be over 100 years old.
Each year in Lejac, Catholic churches celebrate Rose Prince, known to the Dakelh as Rose of the Carrier. In her honour, an annual pigrimmage takes place where people from across Canada for three days to pray and celebrate their faith.
The Cheslatta Trail to Cheslatta Lake, and the Nyan Wheti route to Fort St. James connect at Nadleh village.
Nadleh Whut'en First Nation is affiliated with the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council and is presently in treaty negotiations with the Federal and Provincial governments.
It is also affiliated with Carrier Sekani Family Services, an organization that focuses on physical and mental health and provides social services to its members.
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