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Nahani (also Nahanni, Nahane) is a Dene word that has been used to designate Indigenous peoples in British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Yukon. Nahani is an inaccurate and inappropriate name for any specific group or for any cultural-linguistic grouping. It has been replaced by correct designations as identified by the various Indigenous peoples it was originally meant to encompass in these regions (see also Subarctic Indigenous Peoples in Canada).
History of Use
European fur traders and explorers began to use the collective term Nahani in the early part of the 19th century (see also Fur Trade in Canada). They largely used the term in reference to Indigenous peoples that were not in direct contact with them and only vaguely known from Indigenous reports.
In the 20th century, the term was gradually replaced by more accurate designations. However, the Canadian government continued to use Nahani in the 1970s for the languages of three Indigenous peoples in the Whitehorse, Ross River and Liard River areas of Yukon. These peoples, however, are now identified as Southern Tutchone and Kaska speakers.
