On our first interview with Akaitcho at Fort Providence
he treated us as has already been mentioned with a representation of the
Dog-Rib Dance; and Mr. Back during his winter journey had an opportunity
of observing it performed by the Dog-Ribs themselves.
The chief tribe of the Dog-Rib nation, termed Horn Mountain Indians,
inhabit the country betwixt Great Bear Lake and the west end of Great
Slave Lake. They muster about two hundred men and boys capable of
pursuing the chase. Small detachments of the nation frequent Marten Lake
and hunt during the summer in the neighbourhood of Fort Enterprise.
Indeed this part of the country was formerly exclusively theirs, and most
of the lakes and remarkable hills bear the names which they imposed upon
them. As the Copper Indians generally pillage them of their women and
furs when they meet they endeavour to avoid them and visit their ancient
quarters on the barren grounds only by stealth.
Immediately to the northward of the Dog-Ribs, on the north side of Bear
Lake River, are the Kawchodinneh or Hare Indians who also speak a dialect
of the Chipewyan language and have much of the same manners with the
Dog-Ribs, but are considered both by them and by the Copper Indians to be
great conjurors. These people report that in their hunting excursions to
the northward of Great Bear Lake they meet small parties of Esquimaux.
Immediately to the northward of the Hare Indians on both banks of
Mackenzie's River are the Tykotheedinneh, Loucheux, Squint-Eyes, or
Quarrellers. They speak a language distinct from the Chipewyan. They war
often with the Esquimaux at the mouth of Mackenzie's River but have
occasionally some peaceable intercourse with them, and it would appear
that they find no difficulty in understanding each other, there being
considerable similarity in their languages. Their dress also resembles
the Esquimaux and differs from that of the other inhabitants of
Mackenzie's River. The Tykotheedinneh trade with Fort Good-Hope, situated
a considerable distance below the confluence of Bear Lake River with
Mackenzie's River and, as the traders suppose, within three days' march
of the Arctic Sea. It is the most northern establishment of the
North-West Company, and some small pieces of Russian copper coin once
made their way thither across the continent from the westward. Blue or
white beads are almost the only articles of European manufacture coveted
by the Loucheux. They perforate the septum of the nose and insert in the
opening three small shells which they procure at a high price from the
Esquimaux.
On the west bank of Mackenzie's River there are several tribes who speak
dialects of the Chipewyan language that have not hitherto been mentioned.
The first met with on tracing the river to the southward from Fort
Good-Hope are the Ambawtawhootdinneh, or Sheep Indians. They inhabit the
Rocky Mountains near the sources of the Dawhootdinneh River which flows
into Mackenzie's and are but little known to the traders.
