306 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
are necessarily rude and have remained so, and they have no bearing 
upon the development of the snowshoe which has taken place in 
Canada, for the finished article is only to be found where there is a 
definite winter of deep snow, and where they are in common use as the 
only means of moving about during that season. It is therefore fair 
to consider that there was an absolute and independent origin of the 
snowshoe here and at a very early date. 
In Europe and Asia appliances for travelling over the snow have 
taken the form of the ski, and the development has been along that 
line, but in Canada and in the bordering lands for various reasons the 
development has been altogether along the lines of the webbed snow- 
shoe. 
Canada is a vast territory consisting of woodland, park and 
open country, and it includes the Laurentians, the Rocky mountains 
and the barrens of the far north. In such a vast country widely 
varying snow conditions are to be found. 
The North American Continent was peopled by numerous and 
distinct groups of Indians divided into different linguistic stocks, who 
from central points spread themselves over the whole country from the. 
Atlantic to the Pacific, and as far north as the Arctic. Nothing 
definite can be said as to their origin but it can safely be said that they 
are known to be a race of very great antiquity. 
These different groups or stocks had snowshoes peculiar to 
themselves, in size, form, turn-up and method of weaving the netting. 
It is proposed to treat the subject from this point of view by giving 
descriptions and examples of most of the principal types. Other 
branches of the subject will be taken up later on in the article. 
The principal Indian stocks from a snowshow point of view are 
as follows:— 
ALGONKIAN. Certain Virginian tribes and other American 
tribes near the International Boundary and in the Western States, 
Canada from the Atlantic Ocean to The Rocky Mountains and from 
the International Boundary northward to the latitude of Hudsons 
Bay. 
ATHABASKAN. Interior of Alaska and Canada north of the 
Algonkians and west of Hudsons Bay. 
ESKIMOAN. Arctic coast of North America and islands, also 
Greenland and part of the Arctic Coast of Asia. 
IROQUOIAN. Region of great lakes, both sides of the St. 
Lawrence to the Saguenay and Gaspe coasts. New York State, 
Quebec, Ontario and part of the Western States. 
SALISHAN. Most of the British Columbian Indians and 
various tribes to the south of the International Boundary. 
