CHIPEWYAN INDIANS IN CANADA

CHIPEWYAN IS AN ATHABASKAN LANGUAGE OF NORTHERN CANADA, MANY PEOPLE HERE ARE BILINGUAL IN CHIPEWYAN AND CREE. ABOUT 400 NATIVE PEOPLE SPEAK CHIPEWYAN IN CANADA.

THEY PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE FUR TRADE, THEY HAVE FEW PLACE NAMES OF THE 17 TRIBES LINKED TO CHIPEWYAN. TWELVE COMMEMORATE THE TRIBE BUT APPEAR TO COME INTO USE BECAUSE OF THE CREE.

EIGHT NAMES ARE LINKED TO CHIPEWYAN ONLY BECAUSE THE FORT CHIPEWYAN BAND AROUND LAKE ATHABASCAN HAS 8 SEPARATE BODIES OF RESERVATION LAND. MOST ARE LESS THAN 55 ACRES. TWO NAMES COMMEMORATE A CHIPEWYAN PERSON - PICHE LAKE AND SAINT PICHE RIVER. THESE FEATURES ARE NAMED AFTER A CHIPEWYAN PERSON WHO LIVED AT HEART LAKE RESERVATION. THEY SHOULD HAVE MORE PLACE NAMES THAN THEY DO. WE HAVE LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR ORIGIN.

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