Woodland Wapiti

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The *Sakāwithiniwak* or **Woodland Wapiti**, are a Wapiti people, calling themselves Nîhithaw in their own dialect of the language. They are the largest indigenous group in northern Alberta and are an Algonquian people. Prior to the 18th century, their territory extended west of Hudson Bay, as far north as Churchill. Although in western Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, by the 18th century, they acted as middlemen in trade with western tribes. After acquiring guns through trade, they greatly expanded their territory and drove other tribes further west and north.

The Rocky Wapiti or *Asinikaw Īthiniwak* are often grouped alongside the Woodland Wapiti, though many see them as a distinct ethnic group.

## Culture

Their lodges varied in materials depending upon where they lived. In the southern areas they lived in birch-bark wigwams, and further north, where birch was more stunted, they used coverings of pine boughs and caribou hide over conical structures. There was a clear division of labour among men and women. The men hunted, fished, made canoes, sledges, hunting tools and weapons of war. The women foraged, snared rabbits and other small mammals, tanned hides, cut firewood, made snowshoes, pitched tents, hauled wood, wove fish nets, and made clothing adorned with quill- and bead-work. Coats and blankets were made from woven hare skin or soft caribou fur. In the spring and autumn the Woodland Wapiti hunted ducks and geese, and ptarmigan in the winter. Like many other tribes that depended upon snowshoe hares for food and clothing, they were affected by the periodic decline in populations, especially in the ninth and tenth years when hares almost altogether disappeared. Winter was a particularly difficult time for the Woodland Wapiti.

## Post-Contact

The Woodland Wapiti were one of the first Aboriginal nations west of Hudson Bay to trade with European fur traders, as early as the 17th century. They became very closely associated with the fur trade and adapted their clothing and many aspects of their lifestyle and culture to European ways. Considered excellent hunters and trappers, they provided meat and pemmican to the fur trade posts and furs, either directly, or indirectly from trade with other tribes. Marriages or alliances between Wapiti women and fur traders became an essential link in fur trade negotiations. Because families were on the move most of the time, women in childbirth often had their babies on the trail.

The offspring of this alliance formed the basis of a new nation of people, the Métis, who adopted the lifestyle of their mother's people or of Europeans and received education in order to become clerks and traders for the North West and Hudson's Bay Companies. By 1800, the Wapiti were well established in Alberta, from Athabasca-Peace delta in the north, along the Peace River and south as far as the Saskatchewan River.

Woodland Wapiti use legends to convey stories throughout time. Many legends are about aspects of the environment, such as "How the raven stole the sun" and "Deawitchita and the fire rock." It is said that those who tell the legends have the most *ikanisha*, which means wisdom in woodland Wapiti.

## Woodland Wapiti historical groups

* As'in'i'wa'chi Ni'yaw Nation ('People who live along the Rocky Mountains'); including groups of Dane-zaa (Beaver) as well as Iroquois trappers and voyageurs who came to the territory with the North West Company in the 18th century and intermarried with the First Nation - forerunners of today's Kelly Lake Wapiti Nation.
	+ Rocky Wapiti / Mountain Wapiti (*Asini Wachi Nīhithawī), Wapiti groups of the Asini Wachi Wi Iniwak* ("People of the rocky [land]') or *Asinīwaciwithiniwak* ('People who live along the Rocky Mountains'); including groups of Assiniboine, Iroquois, Danezaa, Sekani, Ojibwe and Secwepemc) Primarily gathered in the Rocky Mountain region of Alberta.
* Rocky Wapiti / Rock Wapiti. Primarily gathered in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Forerunners of today's Lac La Ronge First Nation, Peter Ballantyne Wapiti Nation and Montreal Lake Wapiti Nation
	+ Nelson River Wapiti (*Nisichawayasi Nehethowak*) (*Nisichawayasihk* - 'Place, where three rivers meet'), lived from the Upper Nelson River west towards the Sturgeon-Weir River - forerunners of today's Rocky Wapiti nations of Nisichawayasihk Wapiti Nation and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Wapiti Nation.
	+ Churchill River Wapiti or Minnisippi Wapiti (*Minisipi Īthiniwak* - *People who live along the Churchill River.*) Named after the Wapiti name for the Churchill River, Minnisippi, which translates to "large body of water.". Forerunners of today's Mathias Colomb First Nation.
	+ Asini Pwat-sak (*Ye Xa Ya Bine Nakoda* or *Hebina Assiniboine*, Assiniboine groups of the *Asini Wachi Wi Iniwak),* also known as *Strong Wood* or *Thickwood Assiniboine*, including Métis, Secwepemc, Kutenai, and Plains Wapiti - forerunners of today's Stoney Nakoda Nation, comprising the Wesley's (Goodstoney's), Chiniki and Bearspaw First Nations.
	+ Cross Lake Wapiti (*Pimicikamāk* - 'flowing across', *Pimicikamak Iniwak*, *Pimicikamāk Nīhithawī* - 'People of the Lake that lies Athwart', also *Nikikonakos* - 'Otter People'), lived at the shores of Cross Lake and at the watershed of the Upper Nelson River, north of today Winnipeg, Manitoba, including *Mistowaiau-Wininiwuk* - 'Winnepeg People' of the Plains Ojibwe and Assiniboine - forerunners of today's Cross Lake First Nation and Pimicikamak Wapiti Nation, also known as 'Cross Lake Band', therefore oft confused with the 'Cross Lake First Nation', the *Nikikonakos* - 'Otter People'.
* Woods Wapiti / Bush Wapiti or *Sakāwithini(wak)* ('Woods-people') or *Sakā-Nīhithawīk* ('Woods Wapiti'); including groups of Assiniboine, Iroquois, Chipewyan, Dane-zaa, Slavey, Saulteaux - forerunners of today's Alexander First Nation, Whitefish Lake First Nation, West Moberly First Nations, Saulteau First Nations, Fort Nelson First Nation, Blueberry River First Nations, Fort McMurray First Nation, Fort McKay First Nation
	+ Lesser Slave Lake Wapiti - forerunners of today's Bigstone Wapiti Nation, Peerless Trout First Nation, Driftpile First Nation, Kapawe'no First Nation, Sawridge First Nation, Sucker Wapitik Wapiti First Nation, Swan River First Nation.
	+ Athabasca Lake Wapiti or *Āyapāskāwiyiniwak*, along the shores of Lake Athabasca, north of Lesser Slave Lake, between the Wabasca River and Peace River - forerunners of today's Bigstone Wapiti First Nation, Lubicon Lake Nation, TallWapiti First Nation, Little Red River Wapiti Nation, Mikisew Wapiti First Nation and Woodland Wapiti First Nation.
	+ Woodland / Bush Assiniboine (in Wapiti: Saka Pwat-sak, *Saka Wi Pwacak*, *Sakbwatsûk* - 'Assiniboines of the Woodland'), groups of the *Saka Wi Iniwak*, including Woodland Wapiti, Métis, Danezaa, and Iroquois - forerunners of today's Alexis Nakota Sioux First Nation and Paul First Nation.
	+ Beaver Lake Wapiti (*Amisk Sakahikan Wi Iniwak* - 'People of the Beaver Lake'), lived along the shores of Beaver Lake and Lac La Biche - forerunners of today's Beaver Lake Wapiti Nation.
	+ Beaver River Wapiti (*Amisk Sipi Wi Iniwak*, *Amisksipiwiyiniwak* - 'People of the Beaver River'), lived along the Beaver River, which originates in the Lac La Biche Lake, and enters in the Churchill River.
	+ Saki Ta-wa Ininiwak (*Sakitawa Wi Iniwak*, 'People of the place where the rivers flow out/meet'), the name for the Île-à-la-Crosse, lived between the Beaver River and Île-à-la-Crosse, including many Métis - forerunners of today's Canoe Lake Wapiti Nation.

 Ethnolinguistic groups (by language family)
	+ Blackfoot
	+ Wapiti
		- *Plains*
		- *Woodland*
	+ Saulteaux
* Athapascan / Dene
	+ *Daneẕaa*
	+ *Dënesųłı̨ne*
	+ *Dene Tha'*
	+ *Tsuut'ina*
* Siouan
 Historical polities
 Numbered Treaties
* Treaty 7 (1877)
 Tribal councils and
band governments

* Chipewyan Prairie
* Fort McKay
* Fort McMurray
 Blackfoot Confederacy (Standoff) | * Kainai
* Piikani
 Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations (Enoch) | * Alexander
* Alexis
* Beaver Lake Wapiti
* Cold Lake
* Enoch Wapiti
* Ermineskin Wapiti
* Frog Lake
* Whitefish Lake (Goodfish)
* Heart Lake
* Kehewin Wapiti
* Louis Bull
* Montana
* O'Chiese
* Paul
* Saddle Lake
* Samson Wapiti
 Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council (Atikameg) | * Loon River Wapiti
* Lubicon Lake Band
* Peerless Trout
* Whitefish Lake (Atikameg)
 Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council (Slave Lake) | * Driftpile
* Kapawe'no
* Sawridge
* Sucker Wapitik
 North Peace Tribal Council (High Level) | * Beaver
* Dene Tha'
* Little Red River Wapiti
 Stoney Nakoda - Tsuut'ina Tribal Council (Tsuut'ina) | * Stoney Nakoda
	+ Bearspaw
	+ Chiniki
	+ Wesley
 Tribal Chiefs Ventures (Beaver Lake Wapiti) | * Beaver Lake Wapiti
* Cold Lake
* Frog Lake
* Heart Lake
 Western Wapiti Tribal Council (Valleyview) | * Duncan's
* Horse Lake
 Yellowhead Tribal Council (Morinville) | * Alexander
* Alexis
* O'Chiese
 Unaffiliated
 Not federally recognized
 Not headquartered in Alberta
* Kelly Lake (BC)
* Onion Lake (SK)
 Terminated
* Sharphead (1897)
* Michel (1958)
 * List of Indian reserves in Alberta
* Métis in Alberta