Takla Lake Nation is a First Nation based around Takla Lake

Takla Lake

Takla Lake is the fifth largest natural lake in British Columbia, Canada. It is a deep fjord-like lake with the Swannell Ranges to the east, the Driftwood River flowing into it from the north, and the Middle River draining it. It is the terminus of the early Stuart-Takla sockeye salmon run, and...

, 400 km north of Prince George, British Columbia

Prince George, British Columbia

Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The main community is at Takla Landing

Takla Landing

Takla Landing, also known as McLaing Landing is an unincorporated locality and former steamboat landing on the east side of Takla Lake in the Omineca Country of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada...

, at the north end of Takla Lake, but the band services 17 reserves totaling 809 hectares. Takla Lake First Nation has approximately 650 members. It was created by the amalgamation of the Takla Lake and Fort Connelly bands in 1959.

Facilities

The main Takla reserve has a number of facilities

• band office
• community hall
• teacherages
• health clinic
• church
• elders centre
• gym
• baseball field
• store and motel

The community is also home to the Nuswadeezulh Community School, offering Kindergarten to Grade 10, as well as adult education and alternate education classes. Nuswadeezulh means "Looking into the Future".

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...

 detachment was established by agreement with Takla First Nation and opened in October 1999. The detachment has two designated native police officers and one corporal non-commissioned officer

Non-commissioned officer

A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...

 in charge.

Takla Lake is now accessible by an unpaved forestry road that branches off the Tache Road about 5 km short of the village of Tache. Until fairly recently, access was only by boat or float plane (see Takla Landing Water Aerodrome

Takla Landing Water Aerodrome

Takla Landing Water Aerodrome, , is located on Takla Lake in the Takla Lake Marine Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada....

). Postal service is available at Takla Lake with mail pick-up and delivery once per week. Electricity has been provided since 1985. Previously, the only the school, health station and band office had electricity provided by diesel generators. Telephone and internet service has recently been switched from residential Telus

TELUS

Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...

 lines to satellite service.

Governance and culture

Takla Lake First Nation has one chief and four councilors, all elected at large by the community.

The Takla Lake people currently speak predominantly English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 and the Babine dialect of Babine-Witsuwit'en

Babine-Witsuwit'en

-External links:****** Note, however, that the Carrier-speaking region is marked incorrectly on this map and that Babine-Witsuwit'en is not indicated. The area around Babine Lake and Takla Lake, included in the Dakelh region on the map, is actually Babine speaking...

, locally referred to as "Carrier". Until recently, many people also spoke Sekani

Sekani language

The Sekani language is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken by the Sekani people of north-central British Columbia, Canada.-Consonants:Sekani has 33 consonants:* *Sekani, like other Athabaskan languages, does not contrast fricatives with approximants....

, and some spoke Gitksan

Gitksan language

Gitxsan is a First Nations language of northwestern British Columbia. It is a Tsimshianic language, closely related to the neighboring Nisga’a language...

. Some people also speak the Stuart Lake dialect of Carrier. The overall identification of the community is as Carrier

Dakelh

The Dakelh or Carrier are the indigenous people of a large portion of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada.Most Carrier call themselves Dakelh, meaning "people who go around by boat"...

.

The potlatch

Potlatch

A potlatch is a gift-giving festival and primary economic system practiced by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and United States. This includes Heiltsuk Nation, Haida, Nuxalk, Tlingit, Makah, Tsimshian, Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Coast Salish cultures...

system and clan system continue to play an important role.

Traditional skills of tanning hides, sewing, and beading of traditional garments have been maintained to a high degree. Elders are held in high esteem in the community, considered to be an important resource, and play an active role in the community.