Northwest Territories, Dene, Indigenous peoples -- Kinship -- Northwest Territories, Indigenous peoples-- Northwest Territories -- Economic conditions, Indigenous peoples -- North America -- Economic conditions, Indigenous peoples -- North America -- Kinship, Dene -- Kinship, Kinship, Dene -- Hunting, Hunting, Dene -- Economic conditions 

"The Bear Lake People, Sahtúgot'ine, are a group of Northeastern Athapaskan Indians who reside in the hamlet of Fort Franklin in the Mackenzie District of Canada's Northwest Territories. Bilateral kinship principles, which are discussed at length in this monograph, were in the past and remain fundamental to the social organization of these people. This is documented through a cultural description of kinship and friendship and through a decision making consideration of the formation of Bear Lake task groups such as fishing, hunting and trapping parties. It is shown, however, that in the decision processes involved in forming these kinds of groups additional considerations enter which are not based on kinship or marriage. This raises questions about the nature of traditional Northeastern Athapaskan bands."--page vi.