{{Infobox ethnic group , group = Nadot'en , image = , image_caption = , poptime = , popplace =

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, Canada , langs = English, Babine-Witsuwitʼen , rels =

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

Animism Animism (from meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork, and in ...

, related = Other

Dene The Dene people () are an Indigenous group of First Nations who inhabit the northern boreal, subarctic and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dene speak Northern Athabaskan languages and it is the common Athabaskan word for "people". The term ...

Especially

Tsilhqotʼin The Tsilhqotin or Chilcotin ("People of the river", ; also spelled ''Tsilhqutin, Tŝinlhqotin, Chilkhodin, Tsilkótin, Tsilkotin'') are a First Nations in Canada, North American tribal government of the Northern Athabaskan languages, Athabask ...

Dakelh The Dakelh (pronounced ) or Carrier are a First Nations in Canada, First Nations Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous people living a large portion of the British Columbia Interior, Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The Dakel ...

, and

Wetʼsuwetʼen The Wetʼsuwetʼen are a First Nations in Canada, First Nation who live on the Bulkley River and around Burns Lake, Broman Lake, and François Lake in the northwestern British Columbia Interior, Central Interior of British Columbia. The We ...

In its broader sense, Babine (sometimes spelled ''Babeen'' in older English-language texts) refers to the

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

peoples who speak the Babine dialect of the

Babine-Witsuwitʼen language Babine–Witsuwitʼen or Nadotʼen-Wetʼsuwetʼen is an Athabaskan language spoken in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Its closest relative is Carrier. Because of this linguistic relationship together with political and cultural ties, B ...

, part of the Athabaskan language family, in the vicinity of the Babine River,

Babine Lake Babine Lake borders the Skeena and Omineca regions of central British Columbia, Canada. Vehicle access to the lake, via BC Highway 16 and Nilkitkwa forestry service road, is by road about northeast of Smithers; via BC Highway 16 and Central B ...

, Trembleur Lake, and

Takla Lake Takla Lake is the fifth largest natural lake in British Columbia, Canada. It is a deep fjord In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a g ...

in the central interior of

, Canada. In its narrower sense, Babine refers to the subset of Babine speakers who belong to the Lake Babine Nation, a band comprising three main communities: * Fort Babine (traditional name: Wit'at, approx. 100 full-time residents); * Tachet (approx. 100 full-time residents); * and Woyenne (next to the village of Burns Lake, approx. 800 residents). The term Babine is of French origin, meaning "lippy", because when first encountered by

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...

rs. Babine women wore

labret A labret is a form of body piercing. Taken literally, it is any type of adornment that is attached to the lip (labrum). However, the term usually refers to a piercing that is below the bottom lip, above the chin. It is sometimes referred to as a ...

s. Although perceived by some as disparaging, the band prefers to use the name "Lake Babine Nation" because it emphasizes the connection of the people to their traditional territory around Babine Lake. Other ethnonyms associated with the Babine in historical literature incorrectly include ''Chemesyan'' or ''Chimpseyan'', which is an archaic term used for all Tsimshianic speaking peoples, usually the

Tsimshian The Tsimshian (; ) are an Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their communities are mostly in coastal British Columbia in Terrace, British Columbia, Terrace and ...

. The Babine is located in the

Skeena River The Skeena River is the second-longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada (after the Fraser River). Since ancient times, the Skeena has been an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan—whose na ...

watershed.

Bibliography

*''Cis Dideen Kat: the Way of the Lake Babine Nation'', Jo-Anne Fiske and Betty Patrick,

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

: UBC Press, 2000. Athabaskan peoples Ethnic groups in Canada