Central Carrier Bible — Dakelh (Carrier) New Testament + Genesis (Canada)
Overview
The Central Carrier Bible is the New Testament with Genesis (28 books) in the Central Carrier (Dakelh) language of central British Columbia, Canada, available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 603; abbreviation: CRX). The entry title Book of Romans (1977) reflects an earlier partial publication that preceded the fuller YouVersion edition. Carrier (ISO 639-3: crx for Central Carrier) is an Athabaskan language — one of the Na-Dene language family's most prominent members on the BC Interior plateau. The Carrier people call themselves and their language Dakeł (written in the community's own syllabic script ᑕᗸᒡ, derived from Cree syllabics and adapted by the Oblate missionary Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice in the late 19th century).
Language and People
Central Carrier (ISO 639-3: crx; autonym: Dakeł) is a Na-Dene language: Na-Dene → Athabaskan–Eyak–Tlingit → Athabaskan → Pacific Coast Athabaskan → Carrier branch. The Carrier language is one of the larger Athabaskan languages of British Columbia, and is classified into Northern Carrier (ISO: crx), Central Carrier, and Southern Carrier varieties. Carrier belongs to the Interior Salish/Northern Athabaskan contact zone — a linguistically distinctive region of the BC Interior Plateau.
The Dakelh/Carrier community inhabits:
- Central British Columbia, Canada — along the Nechako and upper Fraser river systems, centered on communities such as Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, Burns Lake, and Fraser Lake
- The Dakelh homeland stretches roughly from the Rocky Mountain foothills west to the Coast Range
Estimated speakers: approximately 500–1,000 active speakers of Central Carrier (endangered); total Dakelh population ~9,000 across all varieties (First Nations census).
Cultural Context
The Carrier people were so named by early European fur traders because of the practice (among widows) of carrying the cremated remains of deceased husbands — a custom the Dakelh themselves did not use as a self-identifier. Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice OMI (1859–1938), a prolific Oblate missionary-linguist, developed the Carrier syllabics script in the 1890s and produced early scripture, grammar, and dictionary works. The Carrier New Testament represents a continuation of this tradition of vernacular Christian literacy in an indigenous North American language.
Publishing and Organizations
The specific publisher of the YouVersion edition is not listed in available records. Early Carrier scripture work was associated with the Oblate mission and the Canadian Bible Society. The YouVersion version code CRX is maintained for digital access.