The Dene 'Tha First Nation continued to occupy the
northwest corner of Alberta and adjacent parts of British Columbia and the Northwest
Territories after the signing of Treaties 8 and 11. There are four reserves,
located on the upper Hay River near High Level, at places such as Chateh (Assumption),
Meander River and
Bushie River. Until the 1960s, these communities were quite isolated.
Although accessibility has improved, the communities are still distant from major
urban centres.
Dene 'Tha youth tend to move to larger urban areas for further
education and training. Although this has meant increased economic
opportunity, it has also led to disruptions in family life,
cultural traditions and language learning. More recently, the Dene 'Tha have
found economic opportunities in the forest and oil industries
around places such as High Level, Zama City and Rainbow
Lake. Along with this, commercial fishing and
transportation-related work are enterprises which allow Dene 'Tha to
live in their home communities with their families.
Within the community there are firefighting crews, as well as
subsistence hunting, fishing,
and trapping.
Early in the 20th century, disease threatened the Dene 'Tha with many perishing in
an influenza epidemic concentrated in the vicinity of Fort Norman
on the Mackenzie River. Pre-contact population was estimated
at 1250 people, which decreased to an estimated 800 after contact.
After World War II,
improved health care has helped the Dene 'Tha population revive
and increase, to approximately 4100 people in 1983.
Heritage Community Foundation Presents
