The story recounts a journey during which Ennou faces harsh winter conditions, encounters multiple moose without success, and navigates deep snow to various lakes. Over several weeks, he traps lynx, chisels through beaver houses, and confronts wolves without a gun. Ultimately, Ennou returns with a significant haul of furs and sells them for a substantial sum, reflecting on the numerous experiences of the expedition.
Source:
Chipewyan Texts
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 1
New York, 1912
► Themes of the story
Trials and Tribulations: Throughout his expedition, Ennou confronts numerous obstacles, including harsh weather conditions, deep snow, and encounters with wolves, testing his endurance and skills.
Conflict with Nature: Ennou’s journey involves direct struggles against natural elements, such as navigating through four-foot-deep snow, facing cold weather, and dealing with wildlife like moose and wolves.
Cunning and Deception: Ennou demonstrates resourcefulness by setting traps, chiseling through beaver houses, and utilizing the help of dogs and companions to achieve his hunting objectives.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Chipewyan people
After there had been three weeks of cold, snow, and wind, the weather cleared. We started on the trip and camped that night six miles away. The next night we reached the base of Goose Lake where we camped for the night. As we were going along the shore, the next morning, we all saw a moose. I went toward it but did not succeed in killing it. We saw three moose that day. I shot at the nose of one which was all that could be seen of it and missed it. That was why I did not kill any that day.
We went on from there but the snow was four feet deep and I had to tramp back and forth to make a road. Finally, we came to a small lake called Big Log Lake. From there we went to Wolf Lake where we stayed for a short time.
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Going out from that place, I set traps for lynx. I killed one. We went on from there to the opposite side of Black Fox Lake. We camped there three weeks during which time I killed nine lynx. We walked to White Fish Lake. I killed one lynx on the way. There was a beaver house at the lake. I chiseled through it with the help of a young woman. While we were there some wolves came after us. We had no gun. We killed four beaver at White Fish Lake outlet.
I went back for the traps and other property. It was a two day’s journey, but I brought back seven lynx. Starting down the White Fish River one morning, we came where there were beaver living, five of which we killed. From there we went to Big Beaver Lake where I trapped a lynx and we chiseled out three beaver and killed one mink. We then turned back, traveling over the same way we had come. Nine lynx had been caught in the traps set as we first passed over the road, but one had gotten away taking the trap. The next morning I went, after this one with the dogs. With the help of the dogs, I killed, that day, one moose and a lynx. We came back from there to Goose Lake at the outlet of which we found some Indians. At the narrows there were more Indians. Finally, we came back to Cold Lake and into the Reserve and stopped at Alfos house. I had twenty-five lynx, six beavers, and one mink. I sold them to Baptiste Jacob for four hundred ninety dollars, two horses, and a spring wagon. I also bought a cow. I could not tell in a whole day all that happened on that trip.
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