Dunne-za (Beaver)
The Dunne-za people occupied the Peace River region longer than any other First Nations people. During his expeditions, explorer Alexander Mackenzie reported that the Dunne-za occupied the vast regions from what is now known as the Saskatchewan to the Peace River in the North and the Lesser Slave Lake in the south.
The Dunne-za speak an Athapaskan language. The Dunne-za people are closely related to the Chipewyan, Dene-tha, and Tsuu-t’ina (Sarcee). Linguistic links can be found between the Dunne-za and the Navajo and the Apache who occupied region in what is now the United States.
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The Europeans who arrived as fur traders identified the Dunne-za as excellent moose hunters, trappers, and warriors.
The Cree moved into the Peace River country in the 1700s and were able to push the Dunne-za westward. The Cree were armed with guns from the fur trade, which gave them an advantage over the Dunne-za.
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The Dunne-za pushed the Sekannis westward into the mountains of British Columbia as they claimed territory.
In 1782, the Dunne-za began receiving guns through trade and the power of the Cree was balanced. This led to a conclusion of the conflict between the Dunne-za and the Cree. The two groups met at Peace Point along the Peace River. The two tribes agreed to boundaries. It is said that this was where the Peace River received its name.
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The Dunne-za continued to participate in the fur trade until a dispute in 1823 when a number of warriors burned the trading post at Fort St. John and killed the factor, Guy Hughes, and four of his men. The Hudson’s Bay Company closed Fort Dunvegan in 1825 to end trade with the Dunne-za, but this had little effect on them as they returned to their traditional way of life. The Hudson’s Bay Company reopened Fort Dunvegan in 1828.
In 1899, the Dunne-za signed Treaty 8 and received reserves, which changed their nomadic way of life. Right after the Treaty was signed the Dunne-za did not settle on their reserves, choosing to be nomadic for several years.