View source for Chipewyan

{{Short description|Indigenous people of northwestern Canada}}
{{distinguish|Chippewa}}
{{for|the language|Chipewyan language}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = {{lang|chp|Dënesųłı̨ne}}
| image = Chipewyan-in-a-canoe.jpg
| population = 30,910 (2016 census)
| total_ref = <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/dt-td/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=110522&PRID=10&PTYPE=109445&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2017&THEME=122&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF= |title=Aboriginal Ancestry Responses (73), Single and Multiple Aboriginal Responses (4), Residence on or off reserve (3), Residence inside or outside Inuit Nunangat (7), Age (8A) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2016 Census - 25% Sample Data|publisher=[[Government of Canada]], [[Statistics Canada]] |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca|date=25 October 2017|access-date=22 November 2017}}</ref>
| popplace = Canada
| region1 = [[Saskatchewan]]
| pop1 = 12,875
| region2 = [[Northwest Territories]]
| pop2 = 7,820
| region3 = [[Alberta]]
| pop3 = 6,350
| region4 = [[Manitoba]]
| pop4 = 1,905
| region5 = [[British Columbia]]
| pop5 = 1,225
| langs = English, [[Chipewyan language|Denesuline]]
| rels = [[Christianity]], [[Animism]]
| related = [[Dene]], [[Yellowknives]], [[Tłı̨chǫ]], [[Slavey]], [[Sahtu]]
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image_caption = A Chipewyan woman and child set out to hunt muskrat in [[Garson Lake, Saskatchewan]].
}}

The '''Chipewyan''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|tʃ|ɪ|p|ə|ˈ|w|aɪ|ə|n}} {{respell|CHIP|ə|WY|ən}}, also called '''''Denésoliné''''' or '''''Dënesųłı̨né''''' or '''''Dënë Sųłınë́''''', meaning "the original/real people")<ref>{{Citation |last=Cook |first=Eung-Do |title=A Grammar of Dëne Sųłiné (Chipewyan) |place=Winnipeg |publisher=Algonquian and Iroquoian Linguistics |year=2004 |isbn=0-921064-17-9 }}</ref><ref>Laurie Bauer, 2007, ''The Linguistics Student's Handbook'', Edinburgh</ref> are a [[Dene]] group of [[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Indigenous Canadian people]] belonging to the [[Athabaskan languages|Athabaskan language family]], whose ancestors are identified with the [[Taltheilei Shale tradition|Taltheilei Shale archaeological tradition]].<ref>{{cite web
| title =Taltheilei Culture
| url =http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/manarchnet/chronology/taltheilei/index.html
| access-date =26 March 2013}}</ref><ref name=canoe>{{cite web |url=http://www.canoesaskatchewan.rkc.ca/arch/trad.htm#taltheilei |title=Archeological Traditions |access-date=12 October 2007 |work=canoesaskatchewan  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215123602/http://www.canoesaskatchewan.rkc.ca/arch/trad.htm#taltheilei |archive-date=15 December 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/denesuline_dene.html|title=Denesuline (Dene)|publisher=Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan|access-date=27 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810063209/http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/denesuline_dene.html|archive-date=10 August 2017}}</ref> They are part of the [[Northern Athabaskan languages|Northern Athabascan]] group of peoples, and hail from what is now [[Western Canada]].

== Terminology ==
[[File:Kids by canoe - Dene - La Loche Sask 1943.jpg|thumb|left|Denesuline children by canoe in [[La Loche]]]]
The term ''Chipewyan'' ({{lang|cr-Cans|ᒌᐯᐘᔮᐣ}}) is an [[Endonym and exonym|exonym]] from the [[Cree language]] meaning 'pointed hides', referring to the design of their parkas.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 September 2021 |title=Chipewyan |url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Chipewyan}}</ref>

The French-speaking missionaries to the northwest of the [[Red River Colony]] referred to the Chipewyan people as Montagnais in their documents written in French.<ref>{{cite book |last=Petitot |first=Émile Fortuné Stanislas Joseph |title=Dictionnaire de la langue Dènè-Dindjié, dialectes montagnais ou chippewayan, peaux de lièvre et loucheux, renfermant en outre un grand nombre de termes propres à sept autres dialectes de la même langue; précédé d'une monographie des Dènè-Dindjié, d'une grammaire et de tableaux synoptiques des conjugaisons (see preface) |location=Paris |publisher=E. Leroux |url=http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/789.html |date=1876 |access-date=5 December 2014 }}</ref> Montagnais simply means 'mountain people' or 'highlanders' in French and has been applied to many unrelated nations across North America over time. For example, the [[Innu|Neenolino Innu]] of northern Quebec are also called {{lang|fr|Montagnais}}.

==Ethnography==

Historically, the Denesuline were allied to some degree with the southerly [[Cree]], and warred against [[Inuit]] and other [[Dene]] peoples to the north of Chipewyan lands.

An important historic Denesuline is [[Thanadelthur]] ("Marten Jumping"), a young woman who early in the 18th century helped her people to establish peace with the Cree, and to get involved with the fur trade.<ref>Steckley 1999</ref>

The [[Sayisi Dene]] of [[northern Manitoba]] are a Chipewyan band notable for hunting migratory [[Reindeer|caribou]]. They were historically located at Little Duck Lake and known as the "Duck Lake Dene". In 1956, the government forcibly relocated them to the [[port of Churchill]] on the shore of [[Hudson Bay]] and a small village north of [[Churchill, Manitoba|Churchill]] called North Knife River, joining other Dene and becoming members of "Fort Churchill Chipewyan Band". In the 1970s, the "Duck Lake Dene" opted for self-reliance, a return to caribou hunting, and relocated to [[Tadoule Lake]], legally becoming "Sayisi Dene First Nation (Tadoule Lake, Manitoba)" in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ch/rcap/sg/sg36_e.html |title=The Sayisi Dene (Manitoba) |access-date=12 October 2007 |work=Indian and Northern Affairs Canada  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060502082957/http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ch/rcap/sg/sg36_e.html |archive-date=2 May 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://uofmpress.ca/books/detail/night-spirits |title=Night Spirits: The Story of the Relocation of the Sayisi Dene |first1=Ila |last1=Bussidor |first2=Ustun |last2=Bilgen-Reinart |date=March 2000 |isbn=9780887556432}}</ref>

== Culture ==
{{Indigenous Peoples of Canada}}
{{Main|Chipewyan language}}
The Chipewyan used to be largely nomadic, organized into small bands and temporarily lived in [[Tipi|tepees]]. They wore one-piece pants and [[moccasin]] outfits. However, their nomadic lifestyle began to erode in 1717 when they encountered English settlers. The Chipewyan subsequently became important in the [[subarctic]] trade by [[Fur trade|exchanging furs and hides]] for metal tools, guns and cloth.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Human: The Definitive Visual Guide|publisher=[[DK (publisher)|Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2004|isbn=0-7566-0520-2|editor-last=Winston|editor-first=Robert|location=New York|pages=353}}</ref>

Modern Chipewyan are either fluidly sedentary or semi-nomadic in lifestyle. Many still practice their traditional lifestyle for subsistence including fishing or caribou hunting although this process is modernized with the use of modern nets, tools, transportation and more.<ref name=":0" />

== Language ==
[[File:Chipewyan map.svg|thumb|left|Historical distribution of the Denesuline language]]
{{Infobox ethnonym|people='''Dënë Sųłinë́<br />ᑌᓀ ᓱᒼᕄᓀ'''|language=[[Chipewyan language|Dënë Sųłinë́ Yatıé<br />ᑌᓀ ᓱᒼᕄᓀ ᔭᕠᐁ]]|country=Dënë Sųłinë́ Nëné,<br/>ᑌᓀᓱᐠᒼᕄᓀ ᓀᓀ,{{indent|5}}Denendeh{{indent|5}}ᑌᓀᐣᑌᐧ}}

Denesuline (Chipewyan) speak the [[Chipewyan language|Denesuline language]], of the [[Athabaskan languages|Athabaskan]] linguistic group. Denesuline is spoken by [[Indigenous peoples in Canada]] whose name for themselves is a cognate of the word {{lang|chp-Latn|dene}} ("people"): {{lang|chp-Latn|Denésoliné}} (or {{lang|chp-Latn|Dënesųłiné}}). Speakers of the language speak different dialects but understand each other. There is a 'k', t dialect that most people speak. For example, people in Fond du lac, {{lang|chp-Latn|Gąnı kuę́}} speak the 'k' and say {{lang|chp-Latn|yaki ku}} while others who use the 't' say {{lang|chp-Latn|yati tu}}.

The name ''Chipewyan'' is, like many people of the [[Canadian Prairies]], of [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]] origin. It is derived from the [[Plains Cree language|Plains Cree]] name for them, {{lang|crk-Latn|Cīpwayān}} ({{lang|crk-Cans|ᒌᐘᔮᐣ}}), "pointed skin", from {{lang|crk-Latn|cīpwāw}} ({{lang|crk-Cans|ᒌᐚᐤ}}), "to be pointed"; and {{lang|crk-Latn|wayān}} ({{lang|crk-Cans|ᐘᔮᐣ}}), "skin" or "hide" - a reference to the cut and style of Chipewyan [[parka]]s.<ref>Campbell, Lyle (1997). ''American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pg. 395</ref>

Most Chipewyan people now use ''Dene'' and ''Denesuline'' to describe themselves and their language. The Saskatchewan communities of [[Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation|Fond-du-Lac]],<ref>{{cite web| title =Prince Albert Grand Council (Fond-du-Lac)| url =http://www.pagc.sk.ca/pagc.asp?ID=3| access-date =26 May 2013| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120212123739/http://www.pagc.sk.ca/pagc.asp?ID=3| archive-date =12 February 2012}}</ref> [[Black Lake Denesuline First Nation|Black Lake]]<ref>{{cite web| title =Prince Albert Grand Council (Black Lake)| url =http://www.pagc.sk.ca/pagc.asp?ID=1| access-date =26 May 2013| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140408161847/http://www.pagc.sk.ca/pagc.asp?ID=1| archive-date =8 April 2014}}</ref> and [[Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation|Wollaston Lake]]<ref>{{cite web| title =Prince Albert Grand Council (Wollaston Lake)| url =http://www.pagc.sk.ca/pagc.asp?ID=4| access-date =26 May 2013| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120212123748/http://www.pagc.sk.ca/pagc.asp?ID=4| archive-date =12 February 2012}}</ref> are a few.

Despite the superficial similarity of the names, the Chipewyan are not related to the ''Chippewa'' ([[Ojibwe]]) people.

In 2015, Shene Catholique-Valpy, a Chipewyan woman in the [[Northwest Territories]], challenged the territorial government over its refusal to permit her to use the [[Glottal stop (letter)|letter {{angbr|ʔ}}]] in her daughter's name, Sahaiʔa. The territory argued that territorial and federal identity documents were unable to accommodate the letter. Sahaiʔa's mother finally registered her name with a hyphen in place of the {{angbr|ʔ}}, while continuing to challenge the policy. Shortly afterwards, another woman named Andrea Heron also challenged the territory on the same grounds, for refusing to accept the letter {{angbr|ʔ}} in her daughter's [[Slavey language|Slavey]] name, Sakaeʔah (actually a cognate of Sahaiʔa).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Browne|first1=Rachel|title=What's in a name? A Chipewyan's battle over her native tongue|url=http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/all-in-the-family-name/|access-date=5 April 2015|work=Maclean's|date=12 March 2015}}</ref>

==Demographics==
Chipewyan peoples live in the region spanning the western [[Canadian Shield]] to the [[Northwest Territories]], including northern parts of the provinces of [[Manitoba]], [[Alberta]] and [[Saskatchewan]]. There are also many burial and archaeological sites in [[Nunavut]] which are part of the Dënesųłı̨ne group.

The following list of [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] band governments had in August 2016 a total registered membership of 25,519, with 11,315 in Saskatchewan, 6,952 in Alberta, 3,038 in Manitoba and 4,214 in the Northwest Territories. All had Denesuline populations; however, several had a combination of [[Cree]] and Denesuline members (see the [[Barren Lands First Nation]] in Manitoba and the [[Fort McMurray First Nation]] in Alberta).

There are also many Dene (Dënesųlı̨ne)-speaking [[Métis]] communities located throughout the region. The Saskatchewan village of [[La Loche]], for example, had 2,300 residents who in the 2011 census identified as speaking Dene (Denesuline) as their native language.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Community Profiles (Canada Census 2011)
|date = 8 February 2012| url =http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E
| access-date =29 June 2013}}</ref> About 1,800 of the residents were Métis and about 600 were members of the [[Clearwater River Dene Nation]].<ref>{{cite web
| title =2006 Aboriginal Population Profile (La Loche)
|date = 15 January 2008| url =http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-594/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4718074&Geo2=PR&Code2=47&Data=Count&SearchText=La%20Loche&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=4718074
| access-date =11 May 2014}}</ref>

== Commemorations ==
The relocation of the [[Sayisi Dene]] is commemorated by the Dene Memorial in [[Churchill, Manitoba]].<ref>{{cite web | title =Dene Memorial |date=27 February 2014|url=https://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/dene-memorial/}}</ref>

== Historical Chipewyan regional groups ==
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2025}}
{{Location_map+|Canada
|relief=yes
| width = 250
| float = right
| caption = Villages in Canada with a Denesuline speaking population
| places =
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=59.32 | long=-107.19 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=59.25 | long=-105.83 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=top}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label=| lat=59.13 | long=-105.6 | label_size=75 | marksize=5|position=bottom}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=58.10 | long=-103.168 | label_size=75 | marksize=5|position=bottom}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=56.48 | long=-109.43 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=56.47 | long=-108.70 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=right}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=55.928 | long=-108.937 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=55.89 | long=-107.7 | label_size=75 | marksize=5|position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada| label= | lat=58.62 | long=-101.48 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=58.71 | long=-98.48 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=54.296 | long=-110.29 | label_size=75 | marksize=5 | position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=55.845 | long=-110.904 |label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=60.0 | long=-111.89 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=bottom}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=58.714 | long=-111.158 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=55.145 | long=-107.61 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=59.6 | long=-109.25 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=57.064 | long=-109.13 | label_size=75 | marksize=5 | position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=56.184 | long=-109.57 |label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=56.366 | long=-109.445 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=bottom}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=55.88 | long=-108.96 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=57.186 | long=-111.636 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=61.17 | long=-113.67 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=62.405 | long=-110.738 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
}}

{{Location_map+
|Canada Saskatchewan|relief=yes
| width = 250
| float = right
| caption = 15 communities in Canada with Denesuline populations. Flashing dots are villages with over 1,000 speakers.
| places =
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation|Fond-du-Lac]] | lat=59.32 | long=-107.19 | label_size=75 | marksize=6| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Stony Rapids]] | lat=59.25 | long=-105.83 | label_size=75 | marksize=6| position=top}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Black Lake Denesuline First Nation|Black Lake]] | lat=59.13 | long=-105.6 | label_size=75 | marksize= 7|mark=Locator_Dot2.gif| position=bottom}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation|Wollaston Lake]] | lat=58.10 | long=-103.168 | label_size=75 | marksize=7|mark=Locator_Dot2.gif}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[La Loche]] | lat=56.48 | long=-109.43 | label_size=75 | marksize=7|mark=Locator_Dot2.gif| position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Turnor Lake]] | lat=56.47 | long=-108.70 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=right}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Dillon, Saskatchewan|Dillon]] | lat=55.928 | long=-108.937 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Patuanak]] | lat=55.89 | long=-107.7 | label_size=75 | marksize=6}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Lac Brochet, Manitoba|Lac Brochet]] | lat=58.62 | long=-101.48 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Tadoule Lake]] | lat=58.71 | long=-98.48 | label_size=75 | marksize=6}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Cold Lake 149|Cold Lake]] | lat=54.296 | long=-110.29 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Janvier South|Janvier]] | lat=55.845 | long=-110.904 |label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Fort Smith, Northwest Territories|Fort Smith]] | lat=60.0 | long=-111.89 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=bottom}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Fort Chipewyan]] | lat=58.714 | long=-111.158 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=left}}
{{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Beauval, Saskatchewan|La Plonge]] | lat=55.145 | long=-107.61 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=left}}
}}
The Chipewyan moved in small groups or bands, consisting of several extended families, alternating between winter and summer camps. The groups participated in hunting, trapping, fishing and gathering in Canada's [[Taiga|boreal forest]] and around the many lakes of their territory. Later, with the emerging [[North American fur trade]], they organized into several major regional groups in the vicinity of the European [[trading post]]s to control, as middleman, the carrying trade in furs and the hunting of fur-bearing animals. The new social groupings also enabled the Chipewyan to dominate their [[Dene]] neighbours and to better defend themselves against their rifle-armed [[Cree]] enemies, who were advancing to the [[Peace River]] and [[Lake Athabasca]].

* ''Kaí-theli-ke-hot!ínne (K'aı́tëlı́ hót'ı̨ne)'' ('willow flat-country up they-dwell') lived on the western shore of Lake Athabasca at [[Fort Chipewyan]]. Their tribal area extended northward to [[Fort Smith, Northwest Territories|Fort Smith]] on the [[Slave River]] and south to [[Fort McMurray]] on the [[Athabasca River]]<ref>[http://www.worldwisdom.com/public/viewpdf/default.aspx?article-title=The_Chipewyan.pdf The Chipewyan]</ref>
* ''Kés-ye-hot!ínne (K'ësyëhót'ı̨ne)'' ('aspen house they-dwell' or 'poplar house they-dwell') lived on the upper reaches of the [[Churchill River (Hudson Bay)|Churchill River]], along the [[Lac Île-à-la-Crosse]], [[Methye Portage]], [[Cold Lake (Alberta)|Cold Lake]], Heart Lake and Onion Lake. The tribal name is probably a description of adjacent Chipewyan groups for this major regional group and takes literally reference to the Lac Ile à la Crosse established European trading forts which were built with [[Populus|Poplar]] or [[Aspen]] wood.
* ''Hoteladi Hótthę̈nádé dëne'' ('northern people') lived north of the ''Kés-ye-hot!ínne'' between [[Cree Lake]], west of [[Reindeer Lake]] on the south and on the east shore of Lake Athabasca in the north.
* ''Hâthél-hot!inne (Hátthëlót'ı̨ne)'' ('lowland they-dwell') lived in the [[Reindeer Lake]] (ɂëtthën tué) region which drains south into the Churchill River.
* ''Etthen eldili dene'' (''Etthén heldélį Dené'', ''Ethen-eldeli'' - '[[Migratory woodland caribou|Caribou]]-Eaters') lived in the [[taiga]] east of Lake Athabasca far east to [[Hudson Bay]], at Reindeer Lake, [[Hatchet Lake (Saskatchewan)|Hatchet Lake]], [[Wollaston Lake]] and [[Lac Brochet]]
* ''Kkrest'ayle kke ottine'' ('dwellers among the quaking aspens' or 'trembling aspen people') lived in the boreal forests between [[Great Slave Lake]] in the south and [[Great Bear Lake]] in the north.
* ''Sayisi Dene (Saı́yısı́ dëne)'' (or ''Saw-eessaw-dinneh'' - 'people of the east') traded at [[Fort Chipewyan]]. Their hunting and tribal areas extended between [[Lake Athabasca]] and Great Slave Lake, and along the Churchill River.
* ''Gáne-kúnan-hot!ínne (Gąnı̨ kuę hót'ı̨ne)'' ('jack-pine home they-dwell') lived in the taiga east of Lake Athabasca and were particularly centred along the eastern [[Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation|Fond-du-Lac]] area.
* ''Des-nèdhè-kkè-nadè (Dësnëdhé k'e náradé dëne)'' (''Desnedekenade'', ''Desnedhé hoį́é nadé hot'įnę́'' - 'people along the great river') were also known as ''Athabasca Chipewyan''. They lived between Great Slave Lake and Lake Athabasca along the Slave River near [[Fort Resolution]] (''Denı́nu Kų́ę́''<ref name=BTR/> — '[[moose]] Island').
* ''Thilanottine (Tthı́lą́ne hót'ı̨ne)'' (''Tu tthílá hot'įnę́'' — 'those who dwell at the head of the lakes' or 'people of the end of the head') lived along the lakes of the Upper Churchill River area, along the Churchill River and Athabasca River, from Great Slave Lake and Lake Athabasca in the north to [[Cold Lake (Alberta)|Cold Lake]] and [[Lac La Biche (Alberta)|Lac La Biche]] in the southwest.<ref>[http://www.sicc.sk.ca/heritage/ethnography/dene/territory/prereserve.html Dene] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040622144000/http://www.sicc.sk.ca/heritage/ethnography/dene/territory/prereserve.html |date=22 June 2004 }}</ref>
* ''Tandzán-hot!ínne (Tálzą́hót'ı̨ne)'' ('dwellers at the dirty lake', also known as ''Dení-nu-eke-tówe'' - 'moose island up lake-on') lived on the northern shore of [[Great Slave Lake]] and along the [[Yellowknife River]], and before their expulsion by the [[Tłı̨chǫ]] along the [[Coppermine River]]. They were often regarded as a Chipewyan group, but form as "[[Yellowknives]]" historically an independent First Nation and called themselves ''T'atsaot'ine (T'átsąnót'ı̨ne'').

==Governance==
The Dënesųłı̨ne people are part of many [[band government]]s spanning Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories.

===Alberta===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Denesuline peoples in Alberta
|-
! [[Tribal council]]
! [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]]
! Headquarters
! [[Indian reserve|Reserves]]
! Area
! Population
! Notes and references
|-
| [[Athabasca Tribal Council]] || {{nowrap|[[Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation]]}}<br>(''K'ai Taile Dené'') || [[Fort Chipewyan]]<br>(''K'aı́tël koę'') || [[Chipewyan 201]]<br>[[Chipewyan 201A]]<br>[[Chipewyan 201B]]<br>[[Chipewyan 201C]]<br>[[Chipewyan 201D]]<br>[[Chipewyan 201E]]<br>[[Chipewyan 201F]]<br>[[Chipewyan 201G]] || align=right| {{cvt|34767.7|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 1,533 ||Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|463|Athabasca Chipewyan|26 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|463|Athabasca Chipewyan|26 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|463|Athabasca Chipewyan|26 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Athabasca Tribal Council]] || [[Fort McKay First Nation]] || [[Fort McKay]] || [[Fort McKay 174]]<br>[[Fort McKay 174C]]<br>[[Fort McKay 174D]]<br>[[Namur Lake 174B]]<br>[[Namur River 174A]] || align=right| {{cvt|14886|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 1,042 ||Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|467|Fort McKay|26 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|467|Fort McKay|26 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|467|Fort McKay|26 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Athabasca Tribal Council]] || [[Chipewyan Prairie First Nation]]<br>(''Tł'ógh tëlı́ dënesųłı̨ne'') || [[Janvier South|Chard]] || [[Cowper Lake 194A]]<br>[[Janvier 194]]<br>[[Winefred Lake 194B]] || align=right| {{cvt|3079.7|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 1,018 ||Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|470|Chipewyan Prairie|26 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|470|Chipewyan Prairie|26 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|470|Chipewyan Prairie|26 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Athabasca Tribal Council]] || [[Fort McMurray First Nation]]<br>(''Tthı̨dłı̨ kuę́'') || [[Fort McMurray]] || [[Clearwater 175]]<br>[[Gregoire Lake 176]]<br>[[Gregoire Lake 176A]]<br>[[Gregoire Lake 176B]] || align=right| {{cvt|3231.7|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 1,153 ||Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|468|Fort McMurray #468|26 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|468|Fort McMurray #468|26 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|468|Fort McMurray #468|26 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Athabasca Tribal Council]] || [[Mikisew Cree First Nation]]<br>(''ᒥᑭᓯᐤ''} || [[Fort Chipewyan]]<br>(''K'aı́tël koę'') || [[Allison Bay 219]]<br>[[Charles Lake 225]]<br>[[Collin Lake 223]]<br>[[Cornwall Lake 224]]<br>[[Devil's Gate 220]]<br>[[Dog Head 218]]<br>[[Old Fort 217]]<br>[[Peace Point 222]]<br>[[Sandy Point 221]] || align=right| {{cvt|5116.1|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 3,281 ||Despite the name, the population of this band is mixed with a "little over fifty percent" having Chipewyan ancestry in 2020 according to a former chief, whose own mother was Dene.<ref>{{Cite podcast |url=https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/840-the-taking-of-wood-buffalo/ |title=#840 The Taking of Wood Buffalo |website=Canadaland |publisher=[[Canadaland]] |last1=Brown |first1=Jesse |author-link1=Jesse Brown (journalist) |date=12 December 2022 |time=12:20 |last2=Morin |first2=Brandy}}</ref> Name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|461|Mikisew Cree|26 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|461|Mikisew Cree|26 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|461|Mikisew Cree|26 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| {{nowrap|[[Tribal Chiefs Ventures Incorporated]]}} || [[Cold Lake First Nations]]<br>(''Łué chógh tué'') || [[Cold Lake, Alberta|Cold Lake]] || [[Cold Lake 149]]<br>[[Cold Lake 149A]]<br>[[Cold Lake 149B]]<br>[[Cold Lake 149C]]<br>[[Blue Quills First Nation Indian Reserve|Blue Quills]] || align=right| {{cvt|20853.4|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 3,347 ||Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|464|Cold Lake|26 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|464|Cold Lake|26 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|464|Cold Lake|26 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Akaitcho Territory Government]]<br>(''Ɂákéchógh nęnę'') || [[Smith's Landing First Nation]]<br>(''Tthëbátthı́ dënesųłı̨ne'') || [[Fort Smith, Northwest Territories|Fort Smith]]<br>(''Tthebacha'')<ref name=BTR/> || [[Ɂejëre K{{hamza}}elnı Kuę́ 196I]]<br>[[Hokédhe Kué 196E]]<br>[[K{{hamza}}ı Kué 196D]]<br>[[Łı̨ Dezé 196C]]<br>{{nowrap|[[Tthebacha Náre 196A]]}}<br>[[Tthebatthıe 196]]<br>{{no wrap|[[Ts{{hamza}}u K{{hamza}}adhe Kué 196F]]}}<br>[[Ts{{hamza}}u Nedhé 196H]]<br>Ts{{hamza}}u Kué 196G<br>[[Tthejëre Ghaı̨lı̨ 196B]] || align=right| {{cvt|20853.4|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 3,347 ||Headquarters are in the Northwest Territories but all reserves are in Alberta. ''Tthebacha'' meaning "beside the rapids" is the traditional Dene name for Fort Smith.<ref name=BTR>{{cite web|url=https://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/en/content/official-nwt-community-names |title=Official NWT Community Names |access-date=19 March 2025}}</ref> Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|477|Smith's Landing|27 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|477|Smith's Landing|27 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|477|Smith's Landing|27 March 2025}}</ref>
|}

===Manitoba===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Denesuline peoples in Manitoba
|-
! [[Tribal council]]
! [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]]
! Headquarters
! [[Indian reserve|Reserves]]
! Area
! Population
! Notes and references
|-
| {{nowrap|[[Keewatin Tribal Council]]}} || [[Barren Lands First Nation]]<br>(''Brochet Kuę́'') || [[Brochet, Manitoba|Brochet]] || [[Brochet 197]]<br>{{nowrap|[[Barren Lands Indian Reserve]]}} || align=right| {{cvt|4372|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 1,286 ||They have a [[Cree]] and Dene population. Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|308|Barren Lands|27 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|308|Barren Lands|27 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|308|Barren Lands|27 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Keewatin Tribal Council]] || {{nowrap|[[Northlands Denesuline First Nation]]}}<br>(''ᓂ ᗂᘚ ᑌᓀ'', ''Nįh hots’į Dene'') || [[Lac Brochet, Manitoba|Lac Brochet]]<br>{{nowrap|(''ᑕᐤᕊ ᕤᐧᐁ'', ''Dahlu T’ua'')}} || [[Kasmere Lake B]]<br>[[Kesinltintúwe]]<br>[[Lac Brochet, Manitoba|Lac Brochet 197A]]<br>[[Luawaychotuwé]]<br>[[Luwechotuwe Parcel B]]<br>[[Luwechotuwe Parcel C]]<br>[[Netelituwe Site C]]<br>[[Nitelitúwe Site E]]<br>[[Nįtxeli Tuwé 1]]<br>[[Nįtxeli Tuwé 2]]<br>[[Nįtxeli Tuwé 4]]<br>[[Putahow Lake Site A]]<br>[[Putahow Lake Site B]]<br>[[Putahow Lake Site C]]<br>[[Putahow Lake Site D]]<br>[[Putahow Lake Site F]]<br>[[Sheth Chok]]<br>[[Tajabanilin]]<br>[[Tatuwe Chok Indian Reserve]]<br>[[Thai Da Re]]<br>[[Thaí Tuwé 2 Indian Reserve]]<br>[[Thaíchonįlįni Indian Reserve]]<br>[[Thaídaré Indian Reserve]]<br>[[Thi Dare Indian Reserve]]<br>[[Thlewiaza River (reserve)|Thlewiaza River]]<br>[[Thuycholeeni]]<br>[[Thuycholeeni Azé]]<br>[[Thuycholeeni Lake A]]<br>[[Thuycholeeni Lake B]]<br>[[Thuycholeeni Lake C]]<br>[[Tlock Desi Chiye]]<br>[[Tthekalé Nu]]<br>[[Tu Txanįlįni Indian Reserve]]<br>[[Tł’odįzeché Indian Reserve]]<br>[[Yathie Nitaniah]]<br>[[Łuécho Tuwé 1 Indian Reserve]] || align=right| {{cvt|24695|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 1,216 ||Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|317|Northlands Denesuline|27 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|317|Northlands Denesuline|27 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|317|Northlands Denesuline|27 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Keewatin Tribal Council]] || [[Sayisi Dene|Sayisi Dene First Nation]] || [[Tadoule Lake]] || [[Churchill 1]] || align=right| {{cvt|212.1|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 920 ||Formerly known as Fort Churchill Indian Band. Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|303|Sayisi Dene|27 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|303|Sayisi Dene|27 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|303|Sayisi Dene|27 March 2025}}</ref>
|}

===Northwest Territories===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Denesuline peoples in the Northwest Territories
|-
! [[Tribal council]]
! [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]]
! Headquarters
! [[Indian reserve|Reserves]] / community
! Area
! Population
! Notes and references
|-
| {{nowrap|[[Akaitcho Territory Government]]}}<br>(''Ɂákéchógh nęnę'') || [[Deninu Kųę́ First Nation]]<br>(''Deneh-noo-kweh'') || [[Fort Resolution]]<br>(''Denı́nu Kų́ę́'')<ref name=BTR/> || {{nowrap|[[Fort Resolution|Fort Resolution Settlement]]}} || align=right| 0 || align=right| 1,096 ||Formerly known as [[Fort Resolution]] Dene. ''Denı́nu Kų́ę́'' translates as "moose island place"<ref name=BTR/> and ''Deneh-noo-kweh'' as "People of moose island"' Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|762|Deninu Kue|27 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|762|Deninu Kue|27 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|762|Deninu Kue|27 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Akaitcho Territory Government]]<br>(''Ɂákéchógh nęnę'') || [[Łutsël K'é Dene First Nation]] || [[Łutselk'e]]<br>(''Łútsę̀lk'é'')<ref name=BTR/> || [[Łutselk'e|Snowdrift Settlement]] || align=right| 0 || align=right| 868 ||Formerly known as the Snowdrift Band. ''Łútsę̀lk'é'' translates as "place of the łútsę̀l", a type of small fish known as a cisco (''[[Coregonus artedi]]'').<ref name=BTR/> Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|764|Lutsel K'e Dene|27 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|764|Lutsel K'e Dene|27 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|764|Lutsel K'e Dene|27 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Akaitcho Territory Government]]<br>(''Ɂákéchógh nęnę'') || [[Salt River First Nation#195]] || [[Fort Smith, Northwest Territories|Fort Smith]]<br>(''Tthebacha'')<ref name=BTR/> || [[Tthebatthıe 196|Fitzgerald No. 196]]<br>{{nowrap|[[Fort Smith, Northwest Territories|Fort Smith Settlement]]}}<br>[[Salt Plains 195]]<br>[[Salt River No. 195]] || align=right| {{cvt|44113|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 1,066 ||Tthebatthıe 196, formerly Fitzgerald No. 196, is located in Alberta. Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|759|Salt River|27 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|759|Salt River|27 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|759|Salt River|27 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Akaitcho Territory Government]]<br>(''Ɂákéchógh nęnę'') || {{nowrap|[[Yellowknives Dene First Nation]]}} || [[Yellowknife]]<br>(''Sǫ̀mbak'è'') <ref name=BTR/>|| [[Dettah|Dettah Settlement]]<br>[[Ndilǫ|Ndilo Settlement]]<br>[[Yellowknife|Yellowknife Settlement]] || align=right| 0 || align=right| 1,720 ||''Sǫ̀mbak'è'' translates as "money place".<ref name=BTR/> Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|763|Yellowknives Dene|27 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|763|Yellowknives Dene|27 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|763|Yellowknives Dene|27 March 2025}}</ref>
|}

===Saskatchewan===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Denesuline peoples in Saskatchewan
|-
! [[Tribal council]]
! [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]]
! Headquarters
! [[Indian reserve|Reserves]]
! Area
! Population
! Notes and references
|-
| [[Meadow Lake Tribal Council|MLTC Program Services Inc.]] || [[Buffalo River Dene Nation]]<br>(''Ɂëjëre dësché'') || [[Dillon, Saskatchewan|Dillon]] || {{nowrap|[[Buffalo River Dene Nation 193|Peter Pond Lake Indian Reserve No. 193]]}} || align=right| {{cvt|8259.7|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 1,775 ||The reserve is about {{cvt|84|km}} northwest of [[Île-à-la-Crosse]] (''Kuę́ ''). Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|398|Buffalo River|27 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|398|Buffalo River|27 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|398|Buffalo River|27 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Meadow Lake Tribal Council|MLTC Program Services Inc.]] || [[Clearwater River Dene Nation]]<br>(''Tı̨tëlase tué'') || [[La Loche|Clearwater River]] || [[Clearwater River Dene Band 221]]<br>[[Clearwater River Dene Band 222]]<br>[[Clearwater River Dene Band 223]]<br>[[La Loche|La Loche Indian Settlement]] || align=right| {{cvt|9511.1|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 3,246 ||Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|401|Clearwater River|27 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|401|Clearwater River|27 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|401|Clearwater River|27 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Meadow Lake Tribal Council|MLTC Program Services Inc.]] || [[English River First Nation]] || [[Patuanak]] || [[Cree Lake 192G]]<br>[[Dipper Rapids 192C]]<br>[[Elak Dase 192A]]<br>[[Barkwell Bay 192I]]<br>[[Beauval Forks 192O]]<br>[[Cable Bay 192M]]<br>[[Cable Bay 192N]]<br>[[Flatstone Lake 192L]]<br>[[Haultain Lake 192K]]<br>[[Leaf Rapids 192P]]<br>[[Mawdsley Lake 192R]]<br>[[Slush Lake 192Q]]<br>[[English River 192H]]<br>[[Grasswoods 192J]]<br>[[Île-à-la-Crosse 192E]]<br>[[Knee Lake 192B]]<br>[[La Plonge 192]]<br>[[Primeau Lake 192F]]<br>[[Wapachewunak 192D]] || align=right| {{cvt|25270.5|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 1,897 ||The name originates from the English River where the "poplar house people" (''Kés-ye-hot'ı̨në'') inhabited the area for periods during the year. Most families, who now reside in Patuanak (''Bëghą́nı̨ch'ërë'') and La Plonge 192 by [[Beauval, Saskatchewan|Beauval]] had traditionally lived down river. Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|400|English River|27 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|400|English River|27 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|400|English River|27 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Meadow Lake Tribal Council|MLTC Program Services Inc.]] || [[Birch Narrows Dene Nation]]<br>(''K'ı́t'ádhı̨ká'' ) || [[Turnor Lake]] || [[Turnor Lake 194]]<br>[[Churchill Lake 193A]]<br>[[Turnor Lake 193B]] || align=right| {{cvt|2902.4|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 997 ||Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|403|Birch Narrows|27 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|403|Birch Narrows|27 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|403|Birch Narrows|27 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| {{nowrap|[[Prince Albert Grand Council|PADC Management Company]]}} || [[Black Lake Denesuline First Nation]]<br>(''Tázën tué'') || [[Black Lake Denesuline First Nation|Black Lake]] || [[Chicken 224]]<br>[[Chicken 225]]<br>[[Chicken 226]] || align=right| {{cvt|32219.7|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 2,352 ||Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|359|Black Lake|28 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|359|Black Lake|28 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|359|Black Lake|28 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Prince Albert Grand Council|PADC Management Company]] || {{nowrap|[[Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation]]}}<br>(''Tthëłtué'') || [[Wollaston Lake]] || [[Lac la Hache 220]] || align=right| {{cvt|11020|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 2,054 ||Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|352|Hatchet Lake|28 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|352|Hatchet Lake|28 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|352|Hatchet Lake|28 March 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Prince Albert Grand Council|PADC Management Company]] || [[Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation]] || [[Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation|Fond du Lac]] || [[Fond du Lac 227]]<br>[[Fond du Lac 228]]<br>[[Fond du Lac 229]]<br>[[Fond du Lac 231]]<br>[[Fond du Lac 232]]<br>[[Fond du Lac 233]] || align=right| {{cvt|36812.1|ha|mi2|disp=br}} || align=right| 2,287 ||Tribal council, name and {{abbr|HQ|headquarters}},<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|351|Fond du Lac|28 March 2025}}</ref> reserves and area,<ref>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|351|Fond du Lac|28 March 2025}}</ref> population (February 2025)<ref>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|351|Fond du Lac|28 March 2025}}</ref>
|}

== Notable Chipewyan ==
* [[Matonabbee]] (Matąnebı́)
* [[Matooskie]]
* [[Thanadelthur]] (Thánadëltth'ér)
* [[Louis Riel]], who was a grandson of a Chipewyan
* [[Jimmy Herman]], actor from Cold Lake First Nation
* [[Alex Janvier]], artist from Cold Lake First Nation

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. ''Footprints on the Land: Tracing the Path of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation''. Fort Chipewyan, Alta: Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, 2003. {{ISBN|0-9733293-0-0}}
* Birket-Smith, Kaj. ''Contributions to Chipewyan Ethnology''. Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1930.
* Bone, Robert M., Earl N. Shannon, and Stewart Raby. ''The Chipewyan of the Stony Rapids Region; A Study of Their Changing World with Special Attention Focused Upon Caribou''. Mawdsley memoir, 1. Saskatoon: Institute for Northern Studies, University of Saskatchewan, 1973. {{ISBN|0-88880-003-7}}
*Bussidor, Ila, Usten Bilgen-Reinart. "Night Spirits: The Story of the Relocation of the Sayisi Dene." University of Manitoba Press, 16 March 2000. (Memoir of a Dene Woman's experiences in Churchill, Manitoba.)
* Clayton-Gouthro, Cecile M. ''Patterns in Transition: Moccasin Production and Ornamentation of the Janvier Band Chipewyan''. Mercury series. Hull, Quebec: Canadian Museum of Civilization, 1994. {{ISBN|0-660-14023-3}}
* Cook, Eung-Do. 2006. ''The Patterns of Consonantal Acquisition and Change in Chipewyan (Dene Suline)''. International Journal of American Linguistics. 72, no. 2: 236.
* Dramer, Kim, and Frank W. Porter. ''The Chipewyan''. New York: Chelsea House, 1996. {{ISBN|1-55546-139-5}}
* Elford, Leon W., and Marjorie Elford. ''English-Chipewyan Dictionary''. Prince Albert, Sask: Northern Canada Evangelical Mission, 1981.
* Goddard, Pliny Earle. ''Texts and Analysis of Cold Lake Dialect, Chipewyan''. Anthropological papers of the American Museum of Natural History, v. 10, pt. 1–2. New York: Published by order of the Trustees [of the American Museum of Natural History], 1912.
* Grant, J. C. Boileau. ''Anthropometry of the Chipewyan and Cree Indians of the Neighbourhood of Lake Athabaska''. Ottawa: F.A. Acland, printer, 1930.
* Human Relations Area Files, inc. ''Chipewyan ND07''. EHRAF collection of ethnography. New Haven, Conn: Human Relations Area Files, 2001.
* Irimoto, Takashi. ''Chipewyan Ecology: Group Structure and Caribou Hunting System''. Senri ethnological studies, no. 8. Suita, Osaka, Japan: National Museum of Ethnology, 1981.
* Li, Fang-kuei, and Ronald Scollon. ''Chipewyan Texts''. Nankang, Taipei: Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica, 1976.
* Lowie, Robert Harry. ''Chipewyan Tales''. New York: The Trustees, 1912.
* Paul, Simon. ''Introductory Chipewyan: Basic Vocabulary''. Saskatoon: Indian and Northern Education, University of Saskatchewan, 1972.
* Scollon, Ronald, and Suzanne B. K. Scollon. ''Linguistic Convergence: An Ethnography of Speaking at Fort Chipewyan, Alberta''. New York: Academic Press, 1979. {{ISBN|0-12-633380-7}}
* Shapiro, Harry L. ''The Alaskan Eskimo; A Study of the Relationship between the Eskimo and the Chipewyan Indians of Central Canada''. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1931.
* Sharp, Henry S. ''Chipewyan Marriage''. Mercury series. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada, 1979.
* Sharp, Henry S. ''The Transformation of Bigfoot: Maleness, Power, and Belief Among the Chipewyan''. Smithsonian series in ethnographic inquiry. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1988. {{ISBN|0-87474-848-8}}
* VanStone, James W. ''The Changing Culture of the Snowdrift Chipewyan''. Ottawa: [Queen's Printer], 1965.
* Wilhelm, Andrea. ''Telicity and Durativity: A Study of Aspect in Dëne Sųłiné (Chipewyan) and German''. New York: Routledge, 2007. {{ISBN|0-415-97645-6}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[https://acfn.com/ Athabasca Chipewyan Nation]

{{First Nations in the Northwest Territories}}
{{First Nations in Alberta}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chipewyan People}}
[[Category:Dene peoples]]
[[Category:Algonquian ethnonyms]]
[[Category:First Nations in Alberta]]
[[Category:First Nations in Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:First Nations in the Northwest Territories]]
[[Category:First Nations in Manitoba]]
[[Category:First Nations in British Columbia]]