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| Tlicho (Dogrib) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tlicho (Dogrib) |
| Region | Northwest Territories, Canada |
| Languages | Tlicho |
| Religions | Traditional Dene spirituality, Christianity |
| Related | Dene peoples |
Tlicho (Dogrib) The Tlicho (Dogrib) are an Indigenous Dene people of the Northwest Territories in Canada, with communities tied to traditional territories around Great Slave Lake, Behchokǫ̀, Yellowknife, and the Mackenzie River. Their cultural and political history intersects with events such as the Treaty 11, the activities of the Hudson's Bay Company, the processes of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, and contemporary land-claim settlements like the Tlicho Agreement.
The Tlicho are one of the Dene groups whose identity is shaped by seasons on the subarctic landscape, kinship networks connected to communities including Behchokǫ̀, Wekweeti, Gamètì, and Whatì, and interactions with entities like the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories. Their social life has been influenced by missionaries from denominations such as the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, economic patterns tied to companies including the Hudson's Bay Company and industries like diamond mining near Diavik Diamond Mine and Ekati Diamond Mine.
The Tlicho language, often called Dogrib in older sources, is part of the Northern branch of the Athabaskan languages within the broader Na-Dene family; linguistic work has involved researchers associated with institutions such as the Canadian Museum of History, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, and the Dene Cultural Institute. Orthographies and literacy projects have been supported by organizations like the Tlicho Community Services Agency and academic programs at the Aurora College; language revitalization efforts draw from resources comparable to those used by speakers of Gwichʼin, Northern Tutchone, Slavey, and Inuvialuktun.
Historical contact for the Tlicho involved trade and conflict with neighboring peoples, including the Sahtu Dene, Gwichʼin, and Yellowknives Dene, engagement with fur-trade networks centered on posts of the Hudson's Bay Company and explorers like Samuel Hearne and Alexander Mackenzie, and later interactions with colonial administrations represented by the Northwest Territories Council and federal departments such as Indian Affairs and Northern Development. The 20th century brought legal and political change through instruments like Treaty 11, commissions including the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, and prominent Indigenous leaders whose advocacy paralleled figures in organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations and the Dene Nation.
Tlicho cultural life centers on practices of hunting, fishing, and trapping around landmarks like Great Slave Lake, seasonal movement with respect to animal migrations including caribou herds tied to ranges recognized by Parks Canada and wildlife studies at Environment and Climate Change Canada, and ceremonial observances blending traditional Dene spirituality with Christian rites introduced by missionaries from the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church of Canada. Artistic expression includes beadwork and drum songs comparable to those preserved by the Smithsonian Institution and curated in collections of the Canadian Museum of History, while contemporary cultural promotion occurs through festivals and institutions such as the Tlicho Community Services Agency and regional media like CKLB-FM.
The Tlicho negotiated a landmark modern agreement with the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories culminating in the Tlicho Agreement, establishing the Tlicho Government and provisions for lands and resource management across areas including portions of the Mackenzie Valley. This process involved legal and policy frameworks comparable to other claims such as the Inuvialuit Final Agreement and discussions in arenas including the Supreme Court of Canada and federal negotiations led by departments like Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. The Tlicho Government interacts with territorial bodies such as the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories and regional authorities including the Tlicho Community Services Agency to administer services and assert jurisdiction under the agreement.
Traditional subsistence activities—caribou hunting, fishing on Great Slave Lake, trapping furbearers, and gathering—remain central, while wage employment comes from sectors like mining at sites including Diavik Diamond Mine, government services such as the Government of the Northwest Territories, and programs funded by the Government of Canada. Economic development initiatives have involved partnerships with companies active in the region, environmental assessments under frameworks like the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and consultation practices influenced by decisions from the Supreme Court of Canada concerning Indigenous rights.
Tlicho populations are concentrated in the communities of Behchokǫ̀ (formerly Rae-Edzo), Gamètì (Rae Lakes), Wekweeti (Whale Cove), and Whatì (Lac La Martre), with diaspora in centers such as Yellowknife and connections to the broader Dene Nation. Census and Indigenous affairs records managed by Statistics Canada and federal agencies track demographic trends, language use, and mobility, with contemporary concerns shared with other Indigenous groups represented by organizations like the Assembly of First Nations and researchers at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Category:Dene peoples