TATSANOTTINE INDIANS IN CANADA

THESE INDIANS MEAN 'SCUM OF THE WATER' WHICH IS FIGURATIVELY AN EXPRESSION FOR COPPER. THEY ARE CHIPEWYAN WHO LIVE NEAR THE GREAT SLAVE LAKE, CANADA. THEY SPEAK ATHAPASKAN. IN 1789 AN ANGLO EXPLORER NOTED THAT THEY LIVE WITH OTHER TRIBES ON THE MACKENZIE PEACE RIVERS. THEY WERE MORE NOMADIC THAN THEIR NEIGHBORS. THEY HUNTED MUSKOXEN AND REINDEER. MANY OF THEIR MEN WERE KILLED BY TREACHERY WITH THE THLINGCHADINE. IN SOME HUNTING TRIPS THEY MET THE ESKIMO WHEN THEY WERE IN CONSTANT WAR. THESE FOLKS WERE HELD AND UNSCRUPULOUS WHO TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THEIR NEIGHBORS.

IN 1836 THEY HAD BEEN POWERFUL AND NUMEROUS AND HAD BEEN REDUCED TO 70 FAMILIES. ONE FRENCH MAN FOUND THEM SERIOUS AND RELIGIOUSLY INCLINED LIKE THE CHIPEWYAN. THEY FORMERLY MANUFACTURED AND SOLD COPPER KNIVES, AXES, AND OTHER CUTTING TOOLS. THE METAL WAS FOOUND ON A LOW MOUNTAIN NEAR COPPERMINE RIVER BY TRADERS OF THE HUDSON BAY.

THE TATSANOTTINE HAVE A MYTH THAT ONE OF THEIR WOMEN WAS KIDNAPED AND CARRIED OFF TO THE ESKIMO IN ASIA AND MARRIED TO ONE OF THEIR MEN. SHE MADE HER ESCAPE WITH HER INFANT IN AN UNIAK AND REACHED THE ALASKAN SHORE BY PADDLING AS SHE WAS PROTECTED BY A WHITE WOLF. AFTER SHE WAS IN ALASKA SHE ABANDONED HER CHILD BECAUSE IT WAS ROBBED HER OF PEMICAN. SHE ASCENDED A BLAZING MOUNTAIN THINKING TO FIND A PARTY CAMPING ON THE SUMMIT. SHE FOLLOWED FLAMES AND SHE REACHED HER TRIBE. SHE MARKED HER TRAIL WITH STONES. WHEN SHE HAD MADE THE JOURNEY THE THIRD TIME, SHE SAT BESIDE BESIDE HER COPPER BED REFUSING TO GO HOME WITH THEM. SHE SUNK TO HER WAISTIN EACH. SHE SAID SHE WOULD TRADE HER METAL FOR MEAT. IF ANYONE GAVE HER BAD MEAT SHE WOULD GIVE THEM BRITTLE METAL. THOSE WHO CAME BACK LATER SAID SHE HAD DISAPPEARED IN THE BOWELS OF THE EARTH. HER TRIBE IS CALLED THE COPPER PEOPLE.

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