Kaska Nation facts for kids

The Kaska Nation is a group of First Nations (Indigenous peoples) in northern British Columbia, southern Yukon, and the southwestern Northwest Territories in Canada. They are an important part of Canada's history and culture.

Who are the Kaska First Nations?

The Kaska Nation is made up of different First Nations groups. Here are the main ones:

Kaska History and Origins

The Kaska people are part of a larger group called the Dene, also known as Northern Athabaskan peoples. The name "Kaska" might come from the Tahltan language, or it could have been given by Europeans.

Many Kaska people believe that the Ross River Natives are descendants of the Tlingit people. They also believe that other Kaska groups formed when people from the Ross River tribe moved to explore and settle in new areas.

First Contact with Europeans

The Kaska people first met Europeans in the 1820s. These were traders from the Hudson Bay Company. In 1821, the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company started setting up trading posts where the Smith River and Liard River meet.

A trader named J. McLeod from the Hudson's Bay Company later started his own trading post near Dease Lake. Some Kaska people found him there and began trading for European goods. The Hudson's Bay Company eventually took over this post and built more near the Kaska lands.

Where the Kaska Live (Geography)

The traditional lands of the Kaska people cover about 93,000 square miles. This area includes parts of southeastern Yukon, southwestern Northwest Territories, and northern British Columbia in Canada.

Out of the five Kaska First Nations, three are in British Columbia:

• Lower Post First Nation (also called Daylu Dena Council)
• Kwadacha First Nation
• Dease River First Nation

The other two Nations are in the Yukon:

• Liard First Nation
• Ross River Dena Council

Kaska Culture and Traditions

The Kaska Language

The Kaska language is called Dene k’éh by its speakers. It is a Northern Dene language, similar to other Dene languages nearby. The Kaska language has four different dialects. People who speak one dialect can usually understand the others. They can also understand some other Athabaskan dialects that are not part of Kaska.

Like most Athabaskan languages, Kaska is a tone language. This means that the pitch (high or low sound) of a word can change its meaning. Over time, a few words from other languages, mainly French and Tlingit, have become part of the Kaska language.

Spiritual Beliefs of the Kaska

The Kaska people believe that the world has gone through several different periods. They believe that the current period was once ended by a great flood, but that a figure called Crow later restored the world.

Important Figures in Kaska Mythology

In their traditional beliefs, there was no single all-powerful being. Instead, there were many important figures in their stories.

• Heroes like Kliatata taught the Kaska people skills such as fishing.
• Another hero, Tsuguya, was known for his exciting adventures.
• There were also non-human figures, like the evil Guslina.
• The North Wind Man controlled the cold and used it to harm people.
• Some stories told of giants who ate people.
• However, there were also good non-human figures, like friendly giants and dwarves who helped humans.

Kaska Beliefs After European Contact

By the 1940s, some Kaska people started to blend their traditional beliefs with Christian ideas. They began to believe that Jesus created everything. They also spoke of a Supreme Being or Head Man who controlled all parts of nature. This Supreme Being was sometimes called God or Jesus.

Kaska Ceremonies and Feasts

Feasts were important events for the Kaska people. They celebrated major life events, such as:

• The birth of a child
• Marriages
• A youth's first successful hunt

Potlatches were also held when someone in the community passed away. These special ceremonies were mainly held by the western Kaska groups. Potlatches included dancing, gift exchanges, and feasting. Dancers would use a tambourine drum, which was their only instrument. They wore wooden masks and costumes made from animal skins. After Europeans arrived, Potlatches became much rarer. For example, in 1945, two Potlatches were held, which were the first in 15 years.

Family Life in Kaska Culture

In Kaska society, a man could have more than one wife, but only if he was a very skilled hunter and could provide for a large family. In these cases, the wives were usually sisters. A woman could also have more than one husband, but this was rare and usually only if her husband became too old to provide for the family.

Marriages could happen between members of the same tribe or with captive women. There were specific rules for marrying outside the tribe. Marriage between certain types of cousins was accepted and even encouraged. After marriage, couples often lived near the woman's family.

Each Kaska family could support itself using the resources from their environment. Two families would often share one temporary shelter, called a lean-to. These shelters were not permanent because Kaska tribes moved often to find necessary resources.

Recreation and Fun Activities

Recreational activities for the Kaska people changed after they met Europeans.

• Traditional Activities: Before European contact, Kaska recreation mainly involved competitions that tested skill and strength. These included throwing, archery, wrestling, and races. They also played a few games.
• Post-European Contact Activities: After Europeans arrived, new activities became popular. These included jumping rope, playing tug-of-war, and a summer hand game.

Social activities that became popular after contact included drinking parties with home-brewed drinks. Seasonal dances were also common, with people playing musical instruments introduced by Europeans, like flutes and guitars. Dancing was mostly done by couples, but square dances were held when Tahltan visitors came.

Kaska Clothing

Traditional Kaska clothing was made by women, mostly from caribou hides. Both men and women wore similar clothes. The basic outfit included a breechcloth and a coat, both made from tanned caribou skin. The coat often had porcupine quills for support. These two pieces were worn all year. In winter, people added fur coats made from sheep or caribou.

Kaska clothes were also decorated with:

• Fringe made from animal skins, used on the shoulders and bottom edge of men's winter parkas.
• Hard pellets from moose tripe and embroidery with porcupine quills, used on women's clothing.

Moccasins and mittens, made from moose or caribou hides, were also worn.

Kaska Settlements and Travel

The Kaska First Nations were nomadic, meaning they moved from place to place. They relied on traveling to different areas to find resources. Their main ways of getting around were by toboggan, canoe, or by walking with snowshoes.

Kaska Government and Treaties

The Kaska Dena Council is made up of the three Kaska Nations in British Columbia. They are the only ones who actively talk and negotiate with the Canadian government. The two Kaska Nations in the Yukon are not involved in these negotiations.

Government Before European Contact

Before Europeans arrived, the Kaska Nations were organized into small groups, usually centered around one family. These groups had an informal leader, often a main man. However, some Kaska tribes in the western region followed a matrilineal style of organization, where leadership and family lines were traced through the mother's side.

The Kaska First Nations saw themselves as one nation, even though they lived in different areas. They didn't have strict borders between their groups. After Europeans arrived, strict boundaries were set between the different Kaska groups. Europeans began creating towns, and the Nations were officially divided into the current five groups because of the Indian Act.

Treaties with the Canadian Government

There are two completed treaties between the Kaska Nations and the Canadian Government. Both treaties are with the three British Columbia Kaska Nations:

• The Kaska Dena Council Incremental Treaty Agreement (2013)
• The Kaska Dena Council Incremental Treaty Amending Agreement (2016)

Since 1993, the Kaska Dena Council has been actively working on treaty negotiations with the government of British Columbia.

Other Agreements

There are five forest agreements, all with the British Columbia Kaska Nations. These agreements were made between 2005 and 2014. There was also another important agreement called the Kaska Dena Council Strategic Engagement Agreement, also with the three Kaska Nations in British Columbia.

See also

• List of tribal councils in British Columbia