The Dene ‘Tha, also called the “Slavey,” are a tribe that live in northern Alberta. In the old days they organized themselves into six bands, and lived in small family groupings with no central government. They were a peaceful people who enjoyed telling stories.
The clothing of the Dene 'Tha was more decorative than other Athapaskan tribes. Before beads were obtained through trade, they used porcupine quills and colored moose hair for adornment.
The Dene 'Tha diet included moose, deer and caribou, but fish was considered a staple, caught during the winter months by running spruce root nets from one hole in the ice to another.
Their dwellings were conical lodges (similar to a Tipi) made usually of spruce bark or brush and two families tended to place their lodges together, with entrances facing the fire. During the winter months the Dene 'Tha lived in low, oblong cabins constructed of poles with walls chinked together with moss and a roof of spruce boughs.
