the various tribes of the tinné indians.—the dog-ribs.—clothing.—the hare indians.—degraded state of the women.—practical socialists.—character.—cruelty to the aged and infirm.
the tinné indians, whose various tribes range from the lower mackenzie to the upper saskatchewan, and from new caledonia to the head of chesterfield inlet, occupy a considerable part of the territories of the hudson’s bay company. to their race belong the strongbows of the rocky mountains; the beaver indians, between peace river and the west branch of the mackenzie; the red-knives, thus named from the copper knives of which their native ores furnish the materials, and who roam between the great fish river and the coppermine; the hare indians, who inhabit the thickly wooded district of the mackenzie from slave lake downward; the dog-ribs, who occupy the inland country on the east from martin lake to the coppermine; the athabascans, who frequent the elk and slave rivers, and many other tribes of inferior note.
the tinné, in general, have more regular features than the esquimaux, and, taken on the whole, exhibit all the characteristics of the red races dwelling farther south; but their utter disregard of cleanliness and their abject behavior (for when in the company of white people they exhibit the whine and air of inveterate mendicants) give them a wretched appearance. mackenzie, the first european who became acquainted with the dog-ribs, describes them as an ugly emaciated tribe, covered with dirt and besmeared with grease from head to foot. more than sixty years have passed since mackenzie’s journey, but his account of them is true to the present day. the women are even uglier and more filthy than the men, for the latter at least paint their unwashed faces and wear trinkets on festive occasions, while the females leave even their hair without any other dressing than wiping their greasy hands on the matted locks, when they have been rubbing their bodies with marrow. the clothing of the men in summer consists of reindeer leather dressed like shammy, which, when newly made, is beautifully white and soft. “a shirt of this material,” says sir john richardson, to whom we are indebted for the best account of the various nations inhabiting the hudson’s bay territory, “cut evenly below, reaches to the middle; the ends of a piece of cloth secured to a waist-band hang down before and behind; the hose, or indian stockings, descend from the top of the thigh to the ankle, and a pair of moccasins or shoes of the same soft leather with tops which fold round the ankle, complete the costume. when the hunter is equipped for the chase he wears, in addition, a stripe of white hare-skin, or of the belly part of a deer-skin, in a bandana round the head, with his lank, black elf-locks streaming from beneath; a shot-pouch suspended by an embroidered belt, a fire-bag or tobacco-pouch tucked into the girdle, and a328 long fowling-piece thrown carelessly across the arm, or balanced on the back of the neck. the several articles here enumerated are ornamented at the seams and hems with leather thongs wound round with porcupine quills, or more or less embroidered with bead-work, according to the industry of the wife or wives. one of the young men, even of the slovenly dog-ribs, when newly equipped, and tripping jauntily over the mossy ground with an elastic step, displays his slim and not ungraceful figure to advantage. but this fine dress once donned is neither laid aside nor cleaned while it lasts, and soon acquires a dingy look, and an odor which betrays its owner at some distance. in the camp a greasy blanket of english manufacture is worn over the shoulders by day, and forms with the clothes the bedding by night.”
in winter they clothe themselves with moose or reindeer skins, retaining the hair, while a large robe of the same material is thrown over the shoulders, and hangs down to the feet in place of the blanket. the women’s dress resembles the men’s, but the skirt is somewhat longer, and generally accompanied by a petticoat which reaches nearly to the knee. the form of dress here described is common to the whole tinné nation, and also to the crees, but the material varies with the district. thus moose-deer, red-deer, and bison leather are in use among the more southern and western tribes, and the hare indians make their skirts of the skins of the animal from which they derive their surname. as this, however, is too tender to be used in the ordinary way, it is torn into narrow strips, twisted slightly, and plaited or worked into the required shape. such is the closeness and fineness of the fur that these hare-skin dresses are exceedingly warm, notwithstanding the closeness of their texture.
the hare indian and dog-rib women are certainly at the bottom of the scale of humanity in north america. not that they are treated with cruelty, but that they are looked upon as inferior beings, and in this belief they themselves acquiesce. in early infancy the boy discovers that he may show any amount of arrogance towards his sisters, who, as soon as they can walk, are harnessed to a sledge, while the tiny hunter struts in his snow-shoes after the men and apes their contempt of the women. all the work, except hunting and fishing, falls to their share; yet they are in general not discontented with their lot.
it would be vain to look among the dog-ribs for the stoicism popularly attributed to the indians, for they shrink from pain, shed tears readily, and are very timorous; but all, young and old, enjoy a joke heartily, and when young are lively and cheerful. when bands of their nation meet each other after a long absence, they perform a kind of dance. a piece of ground is cleared for the purpose, and the dance frequently lasts for two or three days, the parties relieving each other as they get tired. the two bands commence the dance with their backs turned to each other, the individuals following one another in indian file, and holding the bow in the left hand and an arrow in the right. they approach obliquely after many turns, and when the two bands are closely back to back, they feign to see each other for the first time, and the bow is instantly transferred to the right hand and the arrow to the left, signifying that it is not their intention to use them against their friends. their dancing, which329 they accompany by a chorus of groans, compared by sir john richardson to the deep sigh of a pavior as he brings his rammer down upon the pavement, has not the least pretensions to grace; their knees and body are half bent, and, from their heavy stamping, they appear as if desirous of sinking into the ground.
the dog-ribs are practical socialists, and their wretched condition results in a great measure from this cause. all may avail themselves of the produce of a hunter’s energy or skill, and do not even leave him the distribution of his own game. when it becomes known in a camp that deer have been killed, the old men and women of each family sally forth with their sledges and divide the quarry, leaving the owner nothing but the ribs and tongue—all he can claim of right. unable to restrain their appetite, all the community feast in times of abundance, however little many of the men (and there are not a few idle ones) may have contributed to the common good. taught by frequent sufferings, the more active hunters frequently withdraw from the worthless drones, leaving them at some fishing-station, where, with proper industry, they may subsist comfortably. fish-diet is, however, not agreeable to their taste, and as soon as reports of a successful chase arrive, a general movement to the hunting-ground ensues. if on their march the craving multitude discover a hoard of meat, it is devoured on the spot; but they are not always so fortunate. the deer and the hunters may have gone off, and then they are obliged to retrace their steps, many perishing by the way.
the dog-ribs are not conspicuous for hospitality. when a stranger enters a tent he receives no welcome and proffer of food, though he may help himself from a piece of meat hanging on the wall or join the repast. though great liars, they do not steal the white man’s property like the esquimaux and crees, and when visiting a fort, they may be trusted in any of the rooms. as to their religious belief, the majority of the nation recognize a great spirit, while others doubt his existence, assigning as a reason their miserable condition. they are in great fear of evil spirits, which, as they imagine, assume the forms of the bear, wolf, and wolverine, and in the woods, waters, and desert places they fancy they hear them howling in the winds or moaning by the graves of the dead. they never make offerings to the great spirit, but deprecate the wrath of an evil being by the promise of a sacrifice, or by scattering a handful of deer-hair or a few feathers. they believe in a state of future happiness or torment. the soul, after death, crosses a broad river in a boat, and thus endeavors to reach the opposite shore, which is adorned with all the beauties of paradise. if laden with crime, the boat sinks under the weight, and the unfortunate soul, immersed in water, strives in vain to reach the blissful abode from which it is forever banished.
formerly when a tinné warrior died, it was customary for the family to abandon every article they possessed, and betake themselves, in a perfectly destitute condition, to the nearest body of their own people or trading-post. the advice of traders is gradually breaking down this absurd practice, which would alone suffice to keep this people in a state of perpetual poverty. in other respects also, european influence begins to make itself felt. since 1846 roman catholic missionaries are at work among the chepewyans, and have taught many330 of their converts to read and write. the athabascans had formerly but a small breed of dogs, now a stouter race has, in some respects, ameliorated the condition of the females, and the introduction of the horse, which has more recently taken place, holds out prospects of a still greater improvement. the tinné are as giddy and thoughtless as children. when accompanied by a white man they will perform a long journey carefully, but can not be depended upon to carry letters, however high the reward may be that has been promised them on reaching their destination, as the least whim suffices to make them forget their commission.
they are generally content with one wife at a time, and none but the chiefs have more than two. the successful wrestler takes the wife of his weaker countryman, who consoles himself for his loss by endeavoring to find one weaker than himself.
tender and affectionate parents, the tinné are totally indifferent to the sorrows of helpless age. during the stay of sir george back at fort reliance, an old woman arrived there on easter sunday, clothed in ragged reindeer skins, worn down to a skeleton, and grasping with both her hands a stick to support her body, bent double by age and want. the story of the poor creature was soon told. she had become a burden to her family; her former services had all been forgotten, and she had been told “that though she still seemed to live, she was in reality dead, and must be abandoned to her fate. in the new fort she might find assistance, for the white strangers were powerful medicine-men.” this had happened a month before, and all this time she had slowly crept along, appeasing her hunger with the berries she found here and there on the way. when she reached the fort it was too late; she died a few days after her arrival.
