Dakelh
The Dakelh or Carrier are an Indigenous group who live in British Columbia.
Name
[change | change source]The name "Carrier" came from the custom of a widow carrying the ashes of her dead husband for 3 years.
They call themselves the "Dakelh / Dakelh-ne" (ᑕᗸᒡ), which means "people who travel by boat early in the morning."
They also call themselves Yinka Dene (people of the land), while the Carrier who speak the Babine-Witsuwitʼen language call themselves Yinka Whut'en which means the same thing.[1]
Most of the time, they call themselves often simply Dune ("person", "human") or Dune-ne and Dune-ke/Dune-koh (ᑐᘅᘅ, "people", "men").
Home
[change | change source]The Dakelh live in northern British Columbia along the Fraser River. Their homeland has lots of forests and lakes.
Culture
[change | change source]The Dakelh way of live is based on the seasons. In summer, they gather berries. They also fish for salmon and hunt deer.