|
Canadian Indian Tribe
History
Nahane ('people of the west.). An Athapascan division occupying the
region of British Columbia and Yukon Territory between the Coast range and the Rocky mountains,
from the north border of the Sekani, about 57°
north, to that of the Kutchin
tribes, about 65° north. It comprises the Tahltan and Takutine tribes forming the
Taliltan division, the Titshotina and Etagottine tribes forming the Kaska
division, and the Esbataottine and Abbatotine (considered by Petitot to be the
same tribe), Sazeutina, Ettchaottine, Etagottine, Kraylongottine, Klokegottine,
and perhaps Lakuyip and Tsetsant. They correspond with Petitot's Montagnard
group, except that he included also the Sekani. The language of the Nahane
however constitutes a dialect by itself, entirely distinct from Sekani ,
Carrier, or Kutchin. The western divisions have been powerfully influenced by
their Tlingit neighbors of Wrangell, and have adopted their clan organization
with maternal descent, the potlatch customs of the coast tribes, and many words
and expressions of their language. The two principal social divisions or
phratries are called Raven and Wolf, and the fact that Sazeutina and Titshotina
seem to signify 'Bear people' and 'Grouse people' respectively, leads Morice to
suspect that these groups are really phratries or clans. The eastern Nahane have
a loose paternal organization like the Sekani and other Athapascan tribes
farther east. According to Morice the Nahane have suffered very heavily as a result
of white contact. He estimates the entire population at about 1,000.
Nanaimo (contraction of Snanaímux). A Salish
tribe, speaking the Cowichan dialect, living about Nanaimo Harbor, on the east
coast of Vancouver Island and on Nanaimo Lake, British Columbia.
Population 161 in 1906. Their gentes are Anuenes, Koltsiowotl, Ksalokul,
Tewethen, and Yesheken.
Nootka. A nine originally applied to the
Mooachaht of Nootka sound, west coast of Vancouver island., and to their
principal town, Yuquot, but subsequently extended to all the tribes speaking a
Similar language. These extend from C. Cook oil the north to beyond Port
San Juan, and include the Makah of C. Flattery, Wash. Sometimes the term has
been used as to exclude the last
named tribe. The Nootka form one
branch of the great Wakashan family and their relationship to the second or
Kwakiutl branch is apparent only on close examination. In l906 there were
435 Makah and 2,159 Vancouver island. Nootka total. 2,594. They are decreasing
slowly but steadily, the reduction in population of the Nootka of Vancouver
Island alond having exceeded 250 between 1901 and 1906.
The Nootka tribes are: Ahousaht, Chaicclesaht,
Clayoquot, Cooptee, Ehatisaht, Ekoolthaht, Hachaath (extinct),
Hesquiat, Kelsemaht, Klahosaht (probably extinct), Kwoneatshatka
(?), Kyuquot, Makah, Manosaht, Mooachaht, Muchalat, Nitinat,
Nuchatlitz, Oiaht, Opitchesaht, Pachenaht, Seshart, Toquart,
Uchucklesit, and Ucluelet.
Nakotchokutchin. A Kutchin tribe dwelling on the lower Mackenzie river,
north of
the Kawchodinneh, in lat. 68° north, lon. 133° west Their hunting grounds are
east of
the Mackenzie as far as Anderson river, and their chief game is the caribou. In
former days they waged intermittent warfare against the Eskimo of Mackenzie river,
with whom, however, they have always traded. Their men numbered 50 in 1866.
Atsina (Blackfoot: ǎt-se'na, said to mean
'gut people.' Cf. Aä/ni-nĕna, under Arapaho). A detached branch of the
Arapaho, at one time associated with the Blackfeet, but now with the Assiniboin
under Ft. Belknap agency, Montana, where in 1904 they numbered 535, steadily
decreasing. They called themselves Aä'ninĕna, said to mean 'white
clay people,' but are known to the other Arapaho as Hitúnĕna, 'beggars, or
spongers,' whence the tribal sign, commonly but incorrectly rendered 'belly
people' or 'big bellies,' the Gros Ventres of the French Canadian and now their
popular name. The Atsina are not prominent in history and in most respects
are regarded by the Arapaho proper as inferior to them. They have been
constantly confused with the Hidatsa or Gros Ventres of the Missouri.
Bellabella (an Indian corruption of Milbank taken
back into English). The popular mame of an important Kwakiutl tribe living on
Milbank sound., British Cololumbia. Their septs or subtribes are Kokaitk,
Oetlitk, and Oealitk. The following clans are given:
Wikoktenok (Eagle),
Koetenok (Raven),
Halhaiktenole (Killerwhale).
Pop. 330 in 1901.
The language spoken by this tribe and shared also by
the Kitamat, Kitlope, China Hat, and Wikeno Indians is a peculiar dialect of
Kwakiutl, called Heiltsuk from the native name of the Bellabella. These tribes
resemble each other furthermore in having a system of clans with descent through
the, mother, derived probably , from their northern neighbors, while the
Bellacoola and Kwakiutl to the south have paternal descent. Anciently the
Bellabella here very warlike, a character largely attributable to the fact that
they wore flanked on one side
by the Tsimshian of Kittizoo and on the other by the Bellacoola, while war
parties of Haida from the Queen Charlotte islands were constantly raiding their
coasts. For this reason, perhaps, the peculiar secret societies of the north
west coast, the most important of which evidently had their origin in war
customs, first arose among them. When voyagers first began frequenting the north
Pacific coast, Milbank island., which offers one of the few good openings into
the inner ship channel to Alaska, was often visited, and its inhabitants were
therefore among the first to be modified by European contact. Together with the
other Heiltsuk tribes they have now been Christianized by Protestant
missionaries, and most of their ancient culture and ritual have been abandoned.
Cowichan. A group of Salish
tribes speaking a single dialect and occupying the south east Coast of Vancouver island between Nonoos bay and Sanitch inlet, and the
valley of lower Fraser river nearly to Spuzzum, British Columbia. The various bands and
tribes belonging to this group aggregated 2,991 in 1902. The following list of
Cowichan tribes is based on information obtained front Boas:
On Vancouver island.
Clemclemalats, Comiakin, Hellelt, Kenipsins, Kilpanlus, Koksilah, Kuleets,
Lilmalche, Malakut, Nanaimo, Penelakut, Quamichan, Siccameen, Snonowas, Somenos,
Tateke, and Yekolaos.
On lower Fraser river. Chehalis, Chilliwack, Coquitlain, Ewawoos, Katsey, Kelatt,
Kwantlin, Matsqui, Musqueam, Nicomen, Ohamil, Pilalt, Popkum, Scowlitz,
Siyita, Sewathen, Snonkweametl, Skawawalooks, Squawtits. Sumass, Tait, Tsakuam,
and Tsenes.
Etchaottine. An Etchareottine division living west
and north west of Great Slave
lake between Liard river and the divide, along Black, Beaver, and Willow
Reservation,
British America. The Bistchonigottine and Krayiragottine are two of the
divisions.
Kitksan ('people of Seena [Ksian] river') One of the three dialectic
divisions of the Chimmesyan stock, affiliated more closely with the Naska than
with the Tsimshian proper. The people speaking the dialect live along the
upper waters of Skeena river, British Columbia. Dorsey enumerates the
following towns; Kauldaw, Kishgagass, Kishpiyeoux, Kitanmaiksh, Kitwingach,
Kitwinskole, and Kitzegukla. To these must be added the modern mission
town of Meamskinisht. A division is known as the Glen-Vowell Band.
Population 1,120 in 1904.
Index of Tribes or Nations
|
|
Order Family Tree Maker 2012