Like the rest of their nation these Crees
are remarkably fond of spirits and would make any sacrifice to obtain
them. I regretted to find the demand for this pernicious article had
greatly increased within the last few years. The following notice of
these Indians is extracted from Dr. Richardson's Journal:
The Asseenaboine, termed by the Crees Asseeneepoytuck or Stone Indians,
are a tribe of Sioux who speak a dialect of the Iroquois, one of the
great divisions under which the American philologists have classed the
known dialects of the aborigines of North America. The Stone Indians or,
as they name themselves, Eascab, originally entered this part of the
country under the protection of the Crees and, in concert with them,
attacked and drove to the westward the former inhabitants of the banks of
the Saskatchewan. They are still the allies of the Crees but have now
become more numerous than their former protectors. They exhibit all the
bad qualities ascribed to the Mengwe or Iroquois, the stock whence they
are sprung. Of their actual number I could obtain no precise information
but it is very great. The Crees who inhabit the plains, being fur
hunters, are better known to the traders.
They are divided into two distinct bands, the Ammiskwatchhethinyoowuc or
Beaver Hill Crees, who have about forty tents and the Sackaweethinyoowuc
or Thick Wood Crees who have thirty-five.
