Page:Archæologia Americana—volume 2, 1836.djvu/55

SECT. I.] TRIBES NORTH OF THE UNITED STATES. 19 said to speak dialects of the same language with that of the Cheppeyans. The tribes thus enumerated east of the Rocky Mountains are ; north of the Cheppeyans and east of Mackenzie's River, the Coppermine Indians, who call themselves Tantsawhot dinneh, " Birch-rind Men," living formerly on the south side of the great Slave Lake, but now north of it on Knife River, one hundred and ninety souls ; and west of them the Thlingeha din- neh, or " Dog-rib " Indians, sometimes also called " Slaves," a name properly meaning " strangers," and which has been given by the Knistinaux to several tribes which they drove farther north, or west. Population two hundred hunters. On Mackenzie's River, below the great Slave Lake are found the Strongbow, Edchawtawoot, or "Thick Wood," hunters, sev- enty ; the Mountain Indians, hunters, forty ; the Ambawtawoot, or "Sheep " Indians ; and the Kancho or " Hare" Indians, ex- tending towards the great Bear Lake, and adjacent, on the west, to the Dog-rib Indians. Below the Hare Indians are found the Decgothee, Loucheux, or Quarrelers, already mentioned as speaking a different language, and being adjacent to the Eski- maux. On the River Aux Liards, (Poplar River,) or south branch of Mackenzie's River, into which it empties in latitude 62° 30' — 63°, the Nohannies, and the Tsillaw-awdoot or " Brushwood " Indians, are mentioned. On the Unjigah, Unijah, or Peace River, the Beaver and Rocky Mountain Indians ; together one hundred and fifty hunters. Near the sources of one of the branches of the Saskachawan, the Sussees or Sursees, stated by Sir A. Mackenzie to speak a dialect of the Cheppeyan language. This is corroborated by information lately received from an intelligent gentleman of the same name, who is at the head of the establishment of the Missouri American Fur Company at the mouth of the Yellow Stone River. The short vocabulary of Umfreville exhibits however but few affinities. The Athapasca or Elk River, flowing from the south, and the Unijah or Peace River, from the west, unite their waters at the western extremity of the Lake Athapasca, and thence assume the name first of Slave, and, from the outlet of the Slave Lake, of Mackenzie's River. The River Athapasca has its source in the Rocky Mountains ; and the territory lying on its waters, though formerly inhabited by Athapasca tribes, is now in the