Taltheilei Shale tradition facts for kids

The Taltheilei Shale Tradition is the name given by archaeologists to a group of people who lived in the subarctic region of western Canada a very long time ago. They lived from about 750 BC to AD 1000. This name comes from the "Taltheilei Narrows" (which means place of open water) in Great Slave Lake. These people are thought to be the early ancestors of today's Athapaskan-speaking groups.

Who Were the Taltheilei People?

The Taltheilei were people of the Boreal Forest, a large northern forest. They moved into these lands around 750 BC when the climate changed, taking over areas where Arctic groups had lived before.

Where They Lived

Their territory included parts of what is now the central District of Mackenzie and the interior of the District of Keewatin. This was from about 700 BC until early trading posts were set up much later.

Archaeologists have found signs of the Taltheilei Shale Tradition in many places:

• Their Little Duck Lake site later became a Hudson Bay trading post called "Caribou Post." This was because it was close to where caribou migrated. These Taltheilei people are ancestors of the Sayisi Dene, who are part of the Chipewyan group today.
• Other Taltheilei lived at Shethanei Lake, Caribou Lake, and Egenolf Lake. These places are all in northern Manitoba.

What They Ate and Their Tools

The Taltheilei people mainly hunted barren-ground caribou for food. They made special spear and arrow points for hunting, and the designs of these tools changed over time.

Their tools also included:

• Awls (for making holes)
• Adze bits (for shaping wood)
• Knives
• Scrapers (for cleaning hides)
• Stone drills
• Whetstones (for sharpening tools)

Their Descendants and Neighbors

The Taltheilei people are considered the early ancestors of Athapaskan-speaking groups. They are ancestors to two Dene peoples: the Yellowknives and the Chipewyan. They might also be ancestors of the Dene Dogribs.

The Taltheilei were different from the Cree, Ojibwe, and other Algonkian people who also lived in the Boreal Forest. They had their own unique language and culture.

Taltheilei Time Periods

Archaeologists divide the Taltheilei Shale Tradition into different time periods based on the types of tools they used.

Early Period (750 BC - AD 200)

• During this time, their tools often included spear points with a small "stem" at the bottom.

Middle Period (AD 200 - 700)

• In this period, there were fewer stemmed spear points. New types of points, called "lanceolate" (meaning they were shaped like a leaf or spearhead), started to appear.

Late Period (AD 700 - 1700)

• This period saw the introduction of new spear and arrow points. These points had notches on the sides or corners.