BEAVER INDIANS IN CANADA

BEAVER NATION IS KNOWN AS THE DENNE-ZA OR DWELLERS AMONG THE BEAVERS. AS COUSINS TO THE SLAVERY AND CHPEWYAN. THEY ALL SPEAK ATHAPASKAN ROOTED LANGUAGES. THEY ORIGINALLY INHABITED A VAST TERRITORY BETWEEN THE PRESENT DAY BORDER AND PEACE RIVER. THE CREE DROVE THEM WEST AS THEY HAD GUNS FROM THE ANGLOS. THE BEAVER BEGAN TO HUNT GAME THROUGHOUT PEACE RIVER AND THE TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. THEY WERE KNOWN AS EXCEPTIONAL HUNTERS AND PEACEFUL. THEY LIVED IN SMALL FAMILY BANDS OF 1000. BY 1800 THEY WERE REDUCED TO 500 DUE TO DISEASE SUCH AS SMALLPOX, MEASLES, ETC.

THEY FINALLY SIGNED THE TREATY IN 1900. THEIR NEIGHBORS ARE THE ATHAPASKAN SEKANI AND THE CREE. TRADING POSTS WERE ESTABLISHED ALONG THE PEACE RIVER IN 1790'S. MANY ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES CONVERTED SOME BEAVER FOLKS. THEY WERE NOMADIC HUNTERS AND GATHERES. BEAVERS WERE THEIR IMPORTANT GAME AND WERE THEIR FUR TRADE ITEM. WAGE LABOR COMPETES WITH HUNTING AND TRAPPING AS THE MAJOR SOURCE OF INCOME.

MANY OF THE KIDS DROP OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL OR JUNIOR HIGH BECAUSE OFTHE DIFFICULTY WITH THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

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