How were traditional Dene bands organized before the fur trade?

Before the fur trade, the Dene of the Northwest Territories were organized into small, flexible social units known as bands. These groups typically consisted of a few related couples, their children, and dependent elders, usually totaling no more than 20 to 30 individuals who lived, traveled, and hunted together.12

Tribal organization among the Dene was historically weak, making the band the primary and most effective social unit. These bands were not rigid political structures; instead, the Dene identified themselves as part of larger linguistic or kinship groups based on shared affinities with neighboring bands.21

Leadership within these bands was not hereditary but was earned based on individual qualities, including:
* Wisdom and experience1
* Eloquence1
* Generosity1
* Skill in the hunt2
* Capacity for hard work1
* Healing or magical power1

This decentralized structure allowed the Dene to adapt their social organization to the environmental demands of the northern landscape, and it was later easily modified to meet the requirements of the fur trade when it expanded into the Mackenzie area during the 18th century.12