The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of non-Aboriginal culture, specifically, fur traders, missionaries, and government officials, on the people of Fort Chipewyan. It examines, through use of archival sources, community interviews and questionnaires, the changes that have occurred in the Aboriginal way of life, with particular emphasis on Aboriginal economic activity (both traditional and wage-based), land use, and settlement patterns. The study begins with an account of the fur trade in the region, highlighting the role played by the Chipewyans, as well as noting their historical territories, seasonal rounds, and the spatial and non-spatial impacts of outsiders. A good deal of information is provided on community movements, population, and health during the fur trade era. A similar examination of the community is given in the context of missionaries and government officials who visited and resided in the Fort Chipewyan area. The author then goes on to analyse the physical evolution of the Fort Chipewyan area, from Peter's Pond's post, through the Aboriginal settlements, to the current township, including changes in the spatial patterning of the settlement over time. There is an extended discussion of trapping, including market fluctuations over the 20th century, growing scarcity of resources, the introduction of registered traplines, trappers cabins location changes, trapper movements, the impact of the Bennett Dam, and the relationship between trapping and wage-based employment. Other economic activities, such as fishing, logging, mining, and transport, are also briefly discussed. The author notes in conclusion that increasing contact with outsiders had a great impact on the culture and way of life of the Aboriginals living in and around Fort Chipewyan. There has been a comprehensive shift from subsistence to wage economy; trapping is now occurring far from the settlement due to scarce resources; and that a viable economy in Fort Chipewyan is dependent upon "an enormously expanded ownership role in commercial enterprises" for Aboriginals.