Native American languages Native American culture Native American genealogy

Yellowknife Tribe (Yellowknives)

The Yellowknife Indians are an Athabaskan tribe of northern Canada. The Yellowknives are relatives of the Chipewyan (Dene) tribe and speakers of a Dene dialect. Although the Yellowknife language itself is a Chipewyan dialect, the Yellowknives First Nation also includes many Dogrib families, and both languages are still spoken on the reserve today.

Thanks for your interest in Native American languages!

Sponsored Links

Names: The Yellowknives' name for themselves in Dene is T'satsąot'ınę, which means "copper people." This name is spelled many different ways including Tsatsaotine, T'atsaot'ine, Tatsaotine, T'altsan Ottine, Tantsa-ut'dinne, T'attsan-otine, and so on. In English they have also been known as the Copper Indians, Yellow Knives, or Red Knives. In French they were known as Gens de Cuivres (which also means "copper people.")

Yellowknife Language Links

Yellowknife Language Tree:
Theories about Yellowknife language relationships compiled by Linguist List.

Chipewyan Dene:
Our resources about the Chipewyan language, including Yellowknife.

Dogrib:
Our resources about the Dogrib language.

NWT Language Maps:
Map showing aboriginal language use in the city of Yellowknife and the surrounding Northwest Territories.

Yellowknife Tribal and Community Links

Yellowknives Dene First Nation:
Homepage of the Yellowknives Nation in Canada.

Yellowknife Culture and History Links

Yellowknife Facts for Kids:
Questions and answers about Yellowknife culture.

Dene Legends:
Collection of Chipewyan and Yellowknife Indian legends and folktales.

Tatsanottine Tribe History:
Article on the Tatsanottine/Yellowknife tribe from the Handbook of American Indians.

Yellowknives Dene Tribal Newspaper:
News articles about Yellowknife tribal issues and events.

Gateway to Aboriginal Heritage: Yellowknife:
Online exhibit of Yellowknife artifacts from the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Yellowknife People:
Wikipedia article on the Yellowknife Indians.

Four Directions: Yellowknife:
Timeline and links about Yellowknife history.

Links, References, and Additional Information

Yellowknife Tribe:
Yellowknife links page.

Back to the First Nations of North America
Back to the Native American tribe list
Back to our Native American facts for kids

Native Languages

American Indian jewelry Northern Lights legends Cayuga weather Indian tattoos

Would you like to sponsor our work to preserve endangered Native American languages?