Slavey people
The Slavey (also Slave) are a First Nations aboriginal people of the Dene group, indigenous to the Great Slave Lake region, in Canada's Northwest Territories, and extending into northeastern British Columbia and northwestern Alberta.
Name
The name "Slave" is an English translation of the Cree name for their traditional enemies, including the people now known as the Slavey, whom they often enslaved; the French Esclave is analogous. However, in order to avoid the connotations of the word slave, the name came to be presented as indigenous, and this was indicated by pronouncing the e. Later the spelling was changed to Slavé, and then Slavey, to capture the new pronunciation. The name is seldom used by the Slavey, who call themselves Dene.
Because most Athabaskan peoples call themselves Dene, the word is of little use in English.[citation needed] However, the northern Slavey are also known as the Sahtú. The southern band are known as the Deh Cho.[1]
The names of the Slave River, Lesser Slave River, Great Slave Lake and Lesser Slave Lake all derive from this Cree name for their enemies, though not necessarily from the people now known as Slavey in English. The term Esclaves remains incorporated in each of these geographical features' French names.
Groups
The Sahtu or North Slavey people live exclusively in the Northwest Territories. They speak the North Slavey language.
The South Slavey live in north western Alberta, north eastern British Columbia, and the southern Northwest Territories.
The Dene Tha' First Nation in Alberta is a South Slavey nation.
See also
References
Further reading
- Asch, Michael. Slavey Indians. [S.l: s.n, 1978.
External links
- Map of Northwest Coast First Nations (including South Slavey (Dene-Tha)
- MNSU Slavey page
- An account of interactions between Slaveys and George Hunter
- "Slaves". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.