Hunting experiences

These narratives recount close encounters with moose, martens, weasels, bears, and grizzlies, highlighting the hunters’ skills, challenges, and the unpredictable nature of the wilderness. The stories offer a glimpse into the traditional hunting practices and experiences of the Dane-zaa people.

Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912

► Themes of the story

Conflict with Nature: The hunters face challenges posed by animals and the environment, highlighting the struggle between humans and natural forces.

Trials and Tribulations: The hunters undergo a series of challenges, such as tracking elusive prey and dealing with malfunctioning equipment, testing their perseverance and skills.

Ancestral Spirits: References to advice from elders and traditional hunting practices indicate a connection to ancestral knowledge guiding present actions.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

I. I had been hunting all day without seeing a track when toward sunset I started toward some distant pines. Just at dusk I came near a bluff and there I saw a moose track. A strong wind was blowing. “I wish I had seen your track in the day time,” I said to myself. I started after the moose and when I was about to pass behind the pines I looked ahead and saw a moose standing by a tree. I came up to it, raised my gun and aimed it. I could not see the sights of the gun. My father had told me to put snow on the end of the gun when shooting at night. I did this and aimed low when I saw nothing and then high, gradually lowering the gun until it seemed to me right when I shot. The moose ran along one side of me.

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I looked for it again toward the west and again saw it standing. I reloaded the gun and again put snow on the end of the barrel. I raised the gun again until I thought it was aimed right and fired. The moose ran in the same direction again.

As I went after the moose again I saw something dark on the snow. “What is it?” I thought to myself and taking some of it up I put it in my mouth. It was blood and I thought I had killed the moose, I went where there was something dark under a tree. I took up a stick and stabbed it under its head. I had killed it.

II. We were making a road and carrying some traps we were going to set. My brother-in-law and my elder brother went on ahead while I set a trap. I came where my brother-in-law was sitting by a little creek. He was killing himself with laughter. I asked him why he was laughing and he told me to look. A marten and a weasel were fighting. Although the weasel is small, he is smart. We sat there watching them. Just as we decided to shoot and kill the marten they started to fight again. “Fight hard,” my brother-in-law told them and they ran off. We killed nothing after all.

III. It happened once when I was a boy that I was after a bear. The bear chased me and when he came up to me my gun would not go off. I threw it away and fled empty handed. I pulled out my knife and ran under a leaning tree and jumped back over it. The bear did the same and we jumped toward each other. The bear struck out with his foreleg and I disemboweled him with the knife which was two-edged.

IV. I had a single-barreled gun when two dogs were barking in front of a grizzly’s den. The bear ran out after the dogs but my gun would not go off. The cap came off. The bear chased me all about until I bit the cap together and then the gun went off. The bullet broke the bear’s backbone. I went with dogs after a moose in the early morning. The dogs barked at the moose which stood still and then ran after the dogs. It ran so close to me, it stepped on my snowshoes. It was so close I could hear its heart beat. I was holding the gun by its muzzle and I fired. The moose fell and I jumped off the snowshoe. Its leg was sticking through the snowshoe. I skinned the moose and went home to my tipi.

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A description of primitive life

The narrative discusses the challenging existence of the Beaver Indians before contact with white settlers. They relied on snares, bows, and arrows for hunting, and crafted tools from natural materials like moose horn and beaver teeth due to the absence of iron. Fire was made by striking stones together, and shelters were constructed manually. Food scarcity often led to near-starvation conditions, highlighting their resilience in a harsh environment.

Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912

► Themes of the story

Conflict with Nature: The Dane-zaa people’s struggle against natural forces to secure food and resources.

Cultural Heroes: The reference to “the one who made this world” suggests foundational figures or deities influencing their way of life.

Sacred Objects: The use of specific tools and methods, such as beaver teeth and moose horn chisels, which may hold cultural significance.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

Formerly, before white people were known, they were living in a miserable way. They were making their living with snares and bows and arrows. They used a piece of horn to chisel for beaver, and it was a very miserable way. There was no iron at that time, and the beaver chisels were made of moose horn. That they might see the beaver under the ice, they made shovels of wood to remove the snow. When they had no iron, they used beaver teeth [The teeth were left attached to the jawbone. Petitot has a story of a giant who had the teeth of a giant beaver for a knife.] The one who made this world told us it would be that way. They made fire by rubbing two stones together with dry grass rubbed fine for tinder. They made their houses and firewood with their hands.

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They made knives by rubbing stones sharp, with which they cut the meat they ate.

They say that living that way the people were near starvation. They were close to dead people, living that way. When they had no meat in their bellies, they used to put pine brush under their belts. There was nothing inside of them, and the brush enabled them to breathe without bending.

When, at first, they were living with snares, they used to put trees in a row, leaving a passageway between. When the moose passed along there, they were caught in the snares. When they had no combs they made combs of pine-brush.

The killing of the trader at Fort St. John

A young man disobeys a white trader’s orders and returns to his community. Angered, the trader poisons him. In retaliation, the young man’s kin kill the trader and ambush his returning crew, eliminating them all. They seize the store’s goods, living off them for years. Once depleted, they revert to traditional hunting, avoiding white settlements out of fear, and relying solely on bows and arrows.

Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912

► Themes of the story

Revenge and Justice: The community seeks retribution for the young man’s death by killing the trader and his associates.

Conflict with Authority: The young man’s initial disobedience and the subsequent violent response from his community represent a challenge to the trader’s authority.

Community and Isolation: Following the conflict, the community isolates themselves, avoiding contact with white men out of fear.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

A white man gave the young man orders but notwithstanding, he went back to his people. The trader was angry and killed the boy with medicine (poison). His friends knew this had happened and went to the post [this refers to the trading post at Fort St. John, called by the Beaver gtitkwe, “Spruce House.” The first post stood on the east side of North Pine River, near where it enters the Peace] and killed the trader. The young men attached to the post had gone for wood in a boat. The Beaver were lying in wait for them. When they returned and the white men stepped ashore they shot them and killed them all. The steersman jumped into the water. He came to the surface far out in the stream. They shot at him and killed him.

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They took the goods from the store and lived many years on them. When they were gone they lived with “their bows and arrows. They remained in the woods and did not visit a white man’s house because they were afraid. From that time they increased, living with their bows and arrows, not having gunpowder.

Second version. It seems that the white traders first had a trading post at Pine River. The Beaver Indians killed the man in charge of the post, and all his servants. After that these Indians kept away from white people, and were afraid to go near them thinking they would be killed. Some time after they built another post which has remained until the present time.

A Dog-Rib kills some men

In a time before European contact, a Dog-Rib individual prepared a camp for an approaching group and warned some Beaver people about nearby fox holes, intending to harm them. A conflict ensued, resulting in many Beaver deaths, though some escaped. This violence stemmed from ongoing hostilities with the Cree. Eventually, the Beaver and Cree reconciled, ending their conflicts.

Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912

► Themes of the story

Conflict with Authority: The Dog-Rib individual’s deceitful actions can be seen as a challenge to the established norms or authority within the community.

Cunning and Deception: The Dog-Rib uses deceit by falsely informing the Beaver about fox holes, leading them into a trap.

Revenge and Justice: The subsequent attack by the Beaver can be interpreted as an act of retribution for the Dog-Rib’s deceit.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

One time a Dog-Rib who was making a camp ready for those who were coming said to some Beaver, “There are fox holes where you are.” He said it because he thought he might kill them. The Beaver went in and began to shoot. They killed many of the Beaver but a few got away. They killed them as they ran. It was his younger brother who did this.

It was on account of the Cree. They were very miserable on account of them. Before white people came they were hunting each other. The Cree were trying to kill the Beaver. Now they have made friends with each other and nothing happens now.

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A battle on an island

A large war party sought enemies and discovered them camped on an island surrounded by strong rapids. Using songs, they induced sleep among the enemy, then formed a human chain to cross the treacherous waters. Upon reaching the island, they silenced alert geese and launched a surprise attack, killing all but one adversary who escaped into the water. The defeated group, known as the Tsat’u, had never encountered white men.

Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: They use songs to lull the enemy into sleep, employing cunning tactics to gain an advantage.

Magic and Enchantment: The use of songs to induce sleep suggests a connection to supernatural abilities or forces.

War and Peace: The central focus of the story is a battle between opposing groups.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

A large war party set out and traveled a long way looking for the enemy. They did not find them but came down to a large river. “We shall not find them,” they said, among themselves. Someone sang some songs to locate them and said that the enemy were living not far downstream. The party went on and came where they could see them. The enemy were camped on an island with strong rapids surrounding it and they were difficult to attack. They had killed some people and were protecting themselves in this manner. Toward evening one of the attacking party sang a song and caused all the enemy to sleep but one man who did not yield. Another of the party said he would try and sang a song against him, making him fall asleep.

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They attempted to cross to the island but the water was strong and they were being carried downstream with only their heads projecting above the water. One of the men then told the others to take hold of him and not to let go. Forming a chain, they succeeded in swimming across to the island. When they were ready to go to the enemy for the attack they saw some geese sitting there. One of the geese was about to make an outcry when one of the men told the goose not to do it. The goose obeyed. They rushed upon the enemy and killed them. There was one man who did not die although they stabbed him all over. He jumped in the water and disappeared. They did not find his body. It was difficult, but they succeeded in killing them all.

The people who were killed were not Cree but a people called Tsat’u. [They were said to be the band of deskj, the old man whose death is related in the previous story.] They say those people had never seen white men.

Second version

Obtained from Ike in English through John Bourassa.

Once long ago there was a band of Indians who kept killing people. It was not known who they were or to what tribe they belonged. Finally there was a medicineman [Fournier, who was sitting by, said this man was his mother’s grandfather] who after being importuned for a long time said he knew where this band was to be found. A large company of young men agreed to go with this man and make war on the Indians. He led them toward the mountains across from Dunvegan. When the party came to the mountains, the medicineman said the people they sought were not far away and that they might see them tomorrow.

After they had slept he told them that the enemy were nearby. He said that soon a deer driven by the flies would run right into the party. They were to kill the deer and take only a little of the meat. A little beyond that they would come to an open place which they should not cross. Perhaps from there something could be seen. As had been foretold they met with the deer and then came to the bank of a river. They saw the camp on the opposite side with many canoes drawn up on the shore. There were many men in sight. The medicineman directed them to wait until morning to make the attack. One of the party made medicine to cause the enemy to sleep soundly. Early in the morning, they crossed the river. A flock of geese were about to make an outcry when the medicineman made a motion toward the ground and told them to keep still which they did. As they approached the camp, a dog started to bark and ran toward the camp. They all rushed forward thinking the camp would be alarmed by the dog. They ran so fast one of the young men overtook the dog and killed it with a knife. The medicine-making had been so effective no one was wakened by the barking of the dog. They killed them all but one man who ran and jumped in the river. As he jumped, one of the attacking party disemboweled him. Neither he nor his body was seen again.

A blind man’s attempt at defence

A war party visits an old blind man, suspecting he is part of a troublesome band they’ve been seeking. The blind man, aware of their intentions, prepares to defend himself with a concealed knife. His son-in-law, sensing danger, flees. The old man attempts to attack the intruders but mistakenly stabs a blanket. The visitors then kill him and his wives, acknowledging that his blindness made their assault possible.

Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: The elder attempts to deceive the intruders by hiding his weapon and pretending to be hospitable, aiming to catch them off guard.

Tragic Flaw: The elder’s blindness, while not a moral failing, serves as a vulnerability that leads to his downfall.

Revenge and Justice: The attackers seek retribution against the elder’s band, whom they consider troublesome, leading to the elder’s death.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

Once a party went to war. After they had been traveling some time they came where people were living. Thinking they had found the people they were seeking, they went into the tipi to visit them. An old man [this old blind man’s name was deskj, a “Rocky Mountain” Indian, (tsa’t’u) that is, Fort St. John Beaver] sitting there asked them where they were going. They replied that they were just camping about. The old man, suspecting they were not telling the truth, asked a boy if there were children in the party. The boy told his grandfather, “No.” “That is what I thought,” the old man replied. “If they were camping about there would be children along.”

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Then those who were visiting him said, “Grandfather, what did you say? You talk a foreign language all the time.” The old man sat with one foot on a knife with which he was intending to kill them. He was blind and did not know the knife was partly in sight. He reached behind his back and found some choice pieces of meat which he took out and roasted. He ate it by himself thinking that it was his last meal. He did not offer food to his guests.

Just then his son-in-law came back and entered the tipi. “I want a drink,” he said to his wife. “I think the water is all gone.” “You are not an old man, get it yourself,” the old man said. He took up the vessel and went for the water. He had left his snowshoes and bow and arrows at some distance from the camp because he did not recognize the visitors and suspected they were only pretending to pay a visit. Instead of getting the water he went back where he had left his things, and taking them, started to run away. When the strangers saw him, they called to him, “What are you doing, my friend? You are running away and we are paying you a visit.” The young man ran on until he was out of sight.

The old man was holding his foot on the knife so that the knife was projecting a little. “He will do something,” the guests said in Cree. They folded up a blanket and put it between themselves and him, saying he would mistake it for a man. The old man did as they thought he would. He stabbed the blanket thinking it was a man. The men then ran out and began to shoot at him from a distance. They killed him. He too was shooting at the strangers and nearly killed a man although he could not see them. “If he had not been blind we would not have succeeded in killing him,” they said to each other.

They killed all his wives. They were hunting for that man for his band was bad and had been annoying the Indians.

Putting the enemy to sleep by magic

two brothers encounter a large group of strangers. The elder brother hesitates to attack due to their numbers, but the younger insists. They approach the group under the guise of being scolded members of a larger party and invite four young men to accompany them. After nightfall, one brother uses supernatural powers to induce sleep, allowing them to kill the men with knives.

Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: The brothers employ deceit by pretending to be harmless and gaining the trust of their enemies before attacking.

Magic and Enchantment: They use supernatural powers to induce sleep in their victims, showcasing the use of magic in achieving their goals.

Conflict with Authority: By deceiving and killing members of another group, the brothers challenge and disrupt the established order, leading to conflict.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

Two men started out to kill people. As they were going along the road they saw a large number of people sitting down. The two men were not themselves seen. “Well, let us get away from them,” said the elder brother, and they turned back. “Let us shoot them anyway,” said the younger brother. “There are too many people, we will get caught,” the older one insisted. “Let us shoot them anyway,” the younger brother repeated and pointed his gun at them again. “We will get caught, there are too many of them,” the older said again. “Well, turn back, if you are afraid,” the younger one said, and they turned back. “I will fool them,” one of them said. They put their weapons on the ground and went where the people from a distant country were sitting.

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When these people saw them they asked the young men what they were looking for. They replied that they were not out on a foolish errand but belonged to a large party who were traveling over by the river. They had gone off by themselves because they had been scolded. They proposed that four young men should return with them.

With these four men they came down to a very large river. After sunset they went to bed. One of the two young men tried to make them sleep by use of supernatural power. “One of them must be a powerful medicineman,” he said to himself. After considerable time he caused them all to sleep. “Now,” he said to his companion, and they killed them all with their knives.

A man finds beaver in small places

A man boasts about his ability to catch beavers even in confined spaces. He enlists companions to help drive muskrats and beavers into a small area for an easy hunt. Despite their efforts, the beaver eludes them. Eventually, after enduring hunger, they discover a stick and find the beaver sitting nearby, leading to a successful hunt that pleases everyone.

Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912

► Themes of the story

Quest: The man’s journey to hunt beavers and muskrats represents a pursuit to achieve a specific goal.

Cunning and Deception: The man uses strategic methods to outsmart and capture the animals, reflecting the use of wit to achieve his objectives.

Conflict with Nature: The narrative centers on the man’s struggle against natural creatures, highlighting the challenges humans face when interacting with the natural world.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

One man went to get beaver. “I should be able to kill beaver even in very small places,” he said to himself. He went back and asked someone to go with him after beaver and muskrats. He said they could go behind and drive the muskrats ahead so they might kill them in a small beaver place and eat them all up. They went there and started after them and the muskrats ran off ahead of them. When he came back there again the men were sitting at the small beaver place. “We will eat it all up,” he said. “We will make a hole under his food and go in there. Far up there they came to the end. They looked for him there but he was not to be found. Then one man went into a minkskin and looked for him.

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Then he found him and started after him. There at the end he pushed the wood out. He went home again.

Then they were very hungry. “Go look for some sticks,” he told them. They looked for them and found a stick. When they were looking for it they saw the beaver sitting. They killed them all. The people were pleased.

The killing of the children avenged

The story recounts a tragic event where, during a buffalo hunt, a group of children is killed by strangers. Upon discovering the massacre, the grieving parents rush back, but one young man remains composed. He later tracks down the perpetrators, mutilates them by cutting off their ears, and leaves them to suffer, thus avenging the slain children.

Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912

► Themes of the story

Revenge and Justice: The narrative centers on avenging the slain children, highlighting retribution and the restoration of moral order.

Tragic Flaw: The initial complacency or negligence of the community members may have contributed to the tragedy, underscoring human vulnerabilities.

Family Dynamics: The story delves into familial bonds, emphasizing the deep impact of the children’s loss on their parents and the community.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

The men were away after buffalo and their wives were moving the camp along after them. There was one woman living with them. “When you were named Wind-crossing-each-other, you used to say they (the Cree) are coming after us.” “Yes,” she said. This woman (?) who was coming along behind them turned off on another road. She made a road far from that place, not stopping to sleep until it was daylight. When one could see, the young buffaloes were coming from way over there. They drank up all the water. All the children were saying, “Mother, father, here is mother’s camp.” Now strange people had killed all the children. All the children had followed her along the upper road. She had put them in a hole there.

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An old woman ran from there to where the men were killing the buffalo and said, “Come, our children have all been killed. The men started running on the snow without their moccasins. They were crying because their children were all killed. There was one boy, the old woman’s son, who did not care. “Do as you please,” he told them. “I will come in the morning.” He did not care, he simply pulled the meat out of his mouth. When it was nearly daylight he started. The others were lying on the ground with cramps. He went after the others. They were crying because their children had been killed. He cut off the ears of some of them and let them suffer still living. He made them like the rest of his relatives. “Let them suffer,” he said and so he had revenge. [Both the text and the interpretation were so poorly done that the narrative is hardly intelligible.]

The escape of the brothers from the beaver lodge

Two brothers enter a beaver lodge to hunt. Unaware that a Cree war party has attacked their camp, they become trapped when the Cree set the lodge on fire. Facing suffocation, the older brother leads an escape through an underwater passage, pulling his younger sibling to safety. Despite freezing conditions, they survive, highlighting their resilience during times of conflict.

Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912

► Themes of the story

Conflict with Authority: The brothers face aggression from the Cree, who represent an oppressive force threatening their lives.

Trials and Tribulations: The brothers endure significant challenges, including escaping the burning lodge and surviving the freezing conditions.

Cunning and Deception: The brothers use their knowledge of the beaver lodge’s structure to outwit the Cree and escape through the underwater passage.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

There were two young brothers who went in under a beaver lodge. They were waiting there listening to detect the beaver. While they were there, a party of Cree came and killed the people at the camp. The young men did not find it out, but the Cree saw them and came to the hole which they had cut in the beaver lodge and brought a quantity of dry wood which they pushed in and set on fire. The men inside were in great distress, and could hardly breathe on account of smoke. They were about to die and there was nothing they could do to help themselves. They plunged into the water, for they knew that down stream there was a hole which had been cut through the ice. The older brother succeeded in reaching the hole and came out.

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I suppose he did not do it without some reason. [Interpolated by the narrator to explain that the man had supernatural help in escaping.] His younger brother was behind him, for the older brother had said, “Keep right behind me.” He felt for his brother and caught him by the foot just as he was passing the opening. They both got out safely and went away and hid. The clothes they had on, being wet, froze. They were nearly frozen to death, but escaped.

There were no white people here at that time. They had a hard time because of the Cree who were always killing them. This happened when they had breechcloths of skin.