Lheidli T'enneh

The Lheidli T’enneh are part of the Carrier Nation. There are two stories as to how the Carrier got their name. One story holds that the Sekani named the Carrier because they packed or "carried" their goods with them wherever they travelled, either on their backs or in canoes (Hall). Another belief is that European fur traders named the Carrier so because of the widow's custom of carrying the ashes of her deceased husband on her back for three years.

"Once there were no lakes and rivers. There was no Tsi Chakoh and only one village, Chanulac. Our elders at Sai-k’uz tell us this is where ‘Utas was born. As a child, he ran off with his grandfather’s bowl containing all of the water in the world. When the bowl tumbled and broke, ‘Utas splashed the water with his hands and created the lakes, creeks, and rivers. Since then, we have followed the Tsi chakoh and its seasons. Dak’et is when we travel to the Tsi Chakoh ’s many lakes, where we fish whitefish. In Khit, "winter," we follow traplines for small game, such as beaver and muskrat. At this time we also ice fish for trout. We return to the lakes for Oluth to capture suckerfish and trout. We prepare our nets for when the salmon will arrive, and we hunt ducks and geese in the Tsi Chakoh’s marshes. Shin is when the salmon arrive. It is our most important resource. We also hunt bears attracted by the rotting fish, and pick and process berries. The food we gather must last us through the winter" (Yinha Dene Language Institute).

THE LHEIDLI T'ENNEH