winter by hunters using bow and arrow. Athabascan women regularly carry their children with the help of a baby belt. Dog (Lower Tanana , Tanacross ) use in many Athabaskan villages is overwhelmingly for hunting and as pack animals. Dog sleds (Lower Tanana , Tanacross ) are an ancient and widespread means of transportation for Eskimo peoples (western central Alaskan Yup'ik people and northern and northwestern Alaskan Inupiat people), but when non-Native fur traders and explorers first traveled the Yukon River and other interior regions in the mid-19th century, they observed that only a few Athabascan groups, including the Koyukon, Deg Hit'an and Holikachuk, used dogs in this way. Both of these peoples had probably learned the technique from their Iñupiat or Yup'ik Eskimo neighbors. The Gwich'in, Tanana, Ahtna and others pulled their sleds and toboggans by hand, using dogs solely for hunting and as pack animals. Dogs sometimes were used to drive the moose into the fence and snares. Modern tribal unions Historically, the Tanana Athabaskan people did not think of themselves as living in "tribes," a relatively recent term connected with political recognition by the U.S. government. Tribal entities Alaska Native tribal entities for Tanana Athabaskans are recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs: ANCSA The Alaska Native Regional Corporations of Tanana Athabaskans were established in 1971 when the United States Congress passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). Tanana Chiefs Conference The Tanana Chiefs Conference is a traditional tribal consortium of the all Central Alaskan Athabaskans (or Interior Athabaskans), with the exception of the Southern Alaskan Athabaskans (or Southern Athabaskans: Dena'ina and Ahtna). On the broad cultural profile factors of regional environment, land use and occupancy, and social organization, Southern Athabaskans (Dena'ina and Ahtna) life more closely resembled the other southern Native societies. In the North, the life of the Interior Athabaskans more closely resembled other northern Native societies. Yukon-Tanana Subregion Minto Traditional Council, Minto, members are Minto band of Lower Tanana Nenana Traditional Council, Nenana, members are Nenana-Toklat band of Lower Tanana Upper Tanana Subregion Dot Lake Village Council, Dot Lake, members are Mansfeld-Kechumstuk band of Tanacross Healy Lake Traditional Council, Healy Lake, members are Healy River-Joseph band of Tanacross Tanacross IRA Council, Tanacross, members are Mansfeld-Kechumstuk band of Tanacross Tok Native Association, Tok, members are Mansfeld-Kechumstuk band of Tanacross Northway Traditional Council, Northway, members are Lower Nabesna band of Upper Tanana Tetlin