Tahltan
Encyclopedia
Tahltan refers to a Northern Athabaskan people who live in northern British Columbia
around Telegraph Creek
, Dease Lake
, and Iskut
.
and intermarriage between two main clan designations. The two main clans of Tahltan people are Tses' Kiya (Crow) and CheYonne (Wolf)
. These two clans are further subdivided into four parties :
(1) Tuckclarwaydee (Wolf). Also represented by the brown bear
, the eagle
, and the killer-whale
. This family is credited as being the founders of the Tahltan tribe, originating in the interior near the headwaters of Nags river.
(2) Nanyiee (Wolf). Also represented by the brown bear
, the killer-whale
, and the shark
. This family originated near the headwaters of Taku River
, moved towards the ocean and settling among the Stikine
Tlingit; and then ascended the Stikine River and became a family of the Tahltan.
(3) Talarkoteen (Wolf). Originating near Peace River
in the Interior, these peoples followed Liard
River to Dease Lake
and then crossed to the Tuya.
(4) Kartchottee (Raven). This family originated in the Interior toward the headwaters of the Taku River
. This is the most numerous family of the tribe, also represented by the frog
.
, which comprises the membership and governments of the Tahltan First Nation
and Iskut First Nation
.
from Mount Edziza
to make tool
s and weapon
s for trading material. This is the main source of obsidian found in northwestern British Columbia.
(Klappan Valley) in opposition of development there, specifically a coalbed methane
mining project planned by Royal Dutch Shell
. The Sacred Headwaters (Klappan Valley) is home to the headwaters of the Nass
, Skeena
and Stikine River
s. Not only do these rivers provide a home to an important salmon stocks, Tahltan oral history
holds that these headwaters are the place where the earth was first created and where Talhtan culture began. According to the Klabona Keepers, the valley is used for fishing, hunting and trapping. It is the site of a Tahltan burial ground and a cultural camp where Talhtan youth can learn their culture in the summer.
In 2004, Shell was awarded the oil and gas rights to the Klappan valley, one of British Columbia
's largest coal
deposits and an estimated 8 Tcuft of methane
. That year, Shell drilled three exploratory wells at the headwaters, but in 2005 four Shell employees who arrived at the band office in Iskut
were turned away by a group of elders, and no drilling occurred that summer. Non-violent blockades in 2005 and 2006 delayed development efforts and led to the arrests of 13 protesters. Talhtan territory was the site of half of all the mining exploration in British Columbia during 2006. Protests in Smithers
have been as large as 600 people. David Suzuki
and Wade Davis
have both criticized plans for coal-bed methane mining in the headwaters, and in June 2007, 14 different environmental groups sent a joint letter to Shell opposing the project.
Coal-bed methane extraction has already been the subject of protests in the Bulkley Valley
, against a project planned near Telkwa, British Columbia
. In a unanimous 2003 resolution, the Union of B.C. Municipalities asked for a moratorium on coal-bed methane mining in the province.
Representatives from Shell assert a determination to reach consensus in the community, and note that the elected Tahltan Central Council (TCC) agreed to the exploration. The TCC's Chief Jerry Asp was forced to resign in 2005 after protests from Tahltan members accused him of a conflict of interest
because of his involvement with two pro-development organizations.
According to the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition
, Shell has launched a lawsuit against Talhtan elders for loss of revenue. The Klabona Keepers have filed a counter-suit for failure to consult.
Employment opportunities have come from natural resources development in recent years. Because of various concerns over the lands, the parties involved balance between development and the environment.
Talk of an Alaska-Canada railroad traversing Tahltan lands recurs every so often with feasibility studies being done.
Other linguists consider these to be separate languages.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
around Telegraph Creek
Telegraph Creek, British Columbia
Telegraph Creek is a small community located off Highway 37 in Northern British Columbia at the confluence of the Stikine River and Telegraph Creek. The only permanent settlement on the Stikine River, it is home to approximately 350 members of the Tahltan First Nation, as well as another 50...
, Dease Lake
Dease Lake, British Columbia
Dease Lake is a small community located in the Cassiar Country of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Located only a few hours south of the Yukon border, it is located on Highway 37 at the south end of the lake of the same name. Dease Lake is the last major centre before the Alaska...
, and Iskut
Iskut, British Columbia
Iskut is a small, mostly aboriginal community in the Stikine Country of northwestern British Columbia. It is located on Highway 37, at the north end of Eddontenajon Lake just south of Dease Lake and the crossing of the Stikine River...
.
Social Organization
As is common in Northwest Coast peoples, Tahltan social organization is founded on matriarchyMatriarchy
A matriarchy is a society in which females, especially mothers, have the central roles of political leadership and moral authority. It is also sometimes called a gynocratic or gynocentric society....
and intermarriage between two main clan designations. The two main clans of Tahltan people are Tses' Kiya (Crow) and CheYonne (Wolf)
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
. These two clans are further subdivided into four parties :
(1) Tuckclarwaydee (Wolf). Also represented by the brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
, the eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
, and the killer-whale
Orca
The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
. This family is credited as being the founders of the Tahltan tribe, originating in the interior near the headwaters of Nags river.
(2) Nanyiee (Wolf). Also represented by the brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
, the killer-whale
Orca
The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
, and the shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
. This family originated near the headwaters of Taku River
Taku River
The Taku River is a river running from British Columbia, Canada, to the northwestern coast of North America, at Juneau, Alaska. Its mouth coincides with the Alaska-British Columbia border...
, moved towards the ocean and settling among the Stikine
Stikine River
The Stikine River is a river, historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 610 km long, in northwestern British Columbia in Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States...
Tlingit; and then ascended the Stikine River and became a family of the Tahltan.
(3) Talarkoteen (Wolf). Originating near Peace River
Peace River (Canada)
The Peace River is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River flows into the Slave River, a tributary of the Mackenzie River. The Mackenzie is the 12th longest river in the world,...
in the Interior, these peoples followed Liard
Liard River
The Liard River flows through Yukon, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Rising in the Saint Cyr Range of the Pelly Mountains in southeastern Yukon, it flows southeast through British Columbia, marking the northern end of the Rocky Mountains and then curving northeast back...
River to Dease Lake
Dease Lake, British Columbia
Dease Lake is a small community located in the Cassiar Country of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Located only a few hours south of the Yukon border, it is located on Highway 37 at the south end of the lake of the same name. Dease Lake is the last major centre before the Alaska...
and then crossed to the Tuya.
(4) Kartchottee (Raven). This family originated in the Interior toward the headwaters of the Taku River
Taku River
The Taku River is a river running from British Columbia, Canada, to the northwestern coast of North America, at Juneau, Alaska. Its mouth coincides with the Alaska-British Columbia border...
. This is the most numerous family of the tribe, also represented by the frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
.
Government
Modern Tahltan society constitutes itself as the Tahltan NationTahltan Nation
The Tahltan Nation is a tribal council-type organization combining the governments of two band governments of the Tahltan people in the Stikine Country of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The two member governments are the Iskut First Nation and the Tahltan First Nation, which...
, which comprises the membership and governments of the Tahltan First Nation
Tahltan First Nation
The Tahltan First Nation, also known as the Tahltan Indian Band, is a band government of the Tahltan people. Their main community and reserves are located at Telegraph Creek, British Columbia. Their language is the Tahltan language, which is an Athabaskan language also known as Nahanni, is...
and Iskut First Nation
Iskut First Nation
The Iskut First Nation is a band government of the Tahltan people. Their main reserve is Iskut IR No.6, located at Iskut, British Columbia; Kluachon Lake IR No.1 is in the same vicnity, while the band's third reserve, Stikine River IR No. 7 is located one mile west of, and on the opposite side of...
.
History
As early as 10,000 years ago, the Tahltan people used obsidianObsidian
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock.It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth...
from Mount Edziza
Mount Edziza
Mount Edziza is a stratovolcano in the Stikine Country of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. The volcano and the surrounding area are protected within Mount Edziza Provincial Park. It consists of a complex of multiple peaks and ridges, with several glaciers flowing in all directions. The summit...
to make tool
Tool
A tool is a device that can be used to produce an item or achieve a task, but that is not consumed in the process. Informally the word is also used to describe a procedure or process with a specific purpose. Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such...
s and weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
s for trading material. This is the main source of obsidian found in northwestern British Columbia.
Coal-bed methane conflict
Since 2005, a group of elders from the Tahltan people called the Klabona Keepers have watched the road leading through Tahltan territory towards the Sacred headwatersSacred Headwaters
The Sacred Headwaters is the simon given to a subalpine basin in northern British Columbia that is the source of three wild salmon rivers: the Skeena River, Nass River and Stikine River. It is also referred to as the Klappan Valley, although the Klappan—a tributary of the Stikine River—is only one...
(Klappan Valley) in opposition of development there, specifically a coalbed methane
Coalbed methane
Coalbed methane or Coal Bed Methane, coalbed gas or coal mine methane is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. In recent decades it has become an important source of energy in United States, Canada, and other countries...
mining project planned by Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
. The Sacred Headwaters (Klappan Valley) is home to the headwaters of the Nass
Nass River
The Nass River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows from the Coast Mountains southwest to Nass Bay, a sidewater of Portland Inlet, which connects to the North Pacific Ocean via the Dixon Entrance...
, Skeena
Skeena River
The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada . The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan - whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the...
and Stikine River
Stikine River
The Stikine River is a river, historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 610 km long, in northwestern British Columbia in Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States...
s. Not only do these rivers provide a home to an important salmon stocks, Tahltan oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
holds that these headwaters are the place where the earth was first created and where Talhtan culture began. According to the Klabona Keepers, the valley is used for fishing, hunting and trapping. It is the site of a Tahltan burial ground and a cultural camp where Talhtan youth can learn their culture in the summer.
In 2004, Shell was awarded the oil and gas rights to the Klappan valley, one of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
's largest coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
deposits and an estimated 8 Tcuft of methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
. That year, Shell drilled three exploratory wells at the headwaters, but in 2005 four Shell employees who arrived at the band office in Iskut
Iskut, British Columbia
Iskut is a small, mostly aboriginal community in the Stikine Country of northwestern British Columbia. It is located on Highway 37, at the north end of Eddontenajon Lake just south of Dease Lake and the crossing of the Stikine River...
were turned away by a group of elders, and no drilling occurred that summer. Non-violent blockades in 2005 and 2006 delayed development efforts and led to the arrests of 13 protesters. Talhtan territory was the site of half of all the mining exploration in British Columbia during 2006. Protests in Smithers
Smithers, British Columbia
Smithers is a town located in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, approximately halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Smithers is located in the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako....
have been as large as 600 people. David Suzuki
David Suzuki
David Suzuki, CC, OBC is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a Ph.D in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department of the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001...
and Wade Davis
Wade Davis
Edmund Wade Davis is a Canadian anthropologist, ethnobotanist, author and photographer whose work has focused on worldwide indigenous cultures, especially in North and South America and particularly involving the traditional uses and beliefs associated with psychoactive plants...
have both criticized plans for coal-bed methane mining in the headwaters, and in June 2007, 14 different environmental groups sent a joint letter to Shell opposing the project.
Coal-bed methane extraction has already been the subject of protests in the Bulkley Valley
Bulkley Valley
The Bulkley Valley is located in the northwest Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:The 257 km long Bulkley River runs through the valley which is bounded on the west by the Hudson Bay Mountain range and on the east by the Babine Mountains...
, against a project planned near Telkwa, British Columbia
Telkwa, British Columbia
Telkwa is a village located along British Columbia Highway 16, nearly 15 km southeast of the town of Smithers and 350 km west of the city of Prince George, in northwest British Columbia, Canada....
. In a unanimous 2003 resolution, the Union of B.C. Municipalities asked for a moratorium on coal-bed methane mining in the province.
Representatives from Shell assert a determination to reach consensus in the community, and note that the elected Tahltan Central Council (TCC) agreed to the exploration. The TCC's Chief Jerry Asp was forced to resign in 2005 after protests from Tahltan members accused him of a conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
because of his involvement with two pro-development organizations.
According to the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition
Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition
The Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition is a non-governmental organization based in British Columbia which opposes Royal Dutch Shell's Klappan Coalbed Methane Project in a region dubbed the Sacred Headwaters by the Tahltan people, which is located in a mountainous area where the Klappan,...
, Shell has launched a lawsuit against Talhtan elders for loss of revenue. The Klabona Keepers have filed a counter-suit for failure to consult.
Employment opportunities have come from natural resources development in recent years. Because of various concerns over the lands, the parties involved balance between development and the environment.
Talk of an Alaska-Canada railroad traversing Tahltan lands recurs every so often with feasibility studies being done.
Language
Tahltan is a poorly documented Northern Athabaskan language. Some linguists consider Tahltan to be a language with 3 divergent but mutually intelligible dialects (Mithun 1999). The numbers below are according to Poser (2003):- TahltanTahltan languageTahltan is a poorly documented Northern Athabaskan language historically spoken by the Tahltan people who live in northern British Columbia around Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake, and Iskut. Some linguists consider Tahltan to be a language with 3 divergent but mutually intelligible dialects...
(approximately 35 speakers) - KaskaKaska languageKaska is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken by the Kaska people in the southeastern Yukon territory and northern British Columbia in Canada.-References:***...
(approximately 400 speakers) - TagishTagish languageTagish is an endangered Northern Athabaskan language spoken by the Tagish people in the Yukon Territory in Canada. It is almost extinct as there are only two fluent speakers left.Tagish is closely related to Kaska and Tahltan...
(approximately 2 speakers)
Other linguists consider these to be separate languages.
External links
- map of Northwest Coast First Nations (including Tahltan)
- Photos
