506 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
Referring to the remarkable paucity of Indian names, Dr. Geo. 
M. Dawson says: *‘‘It is a remarkable circumstance that the Stoney 
Indians attach definite names to very few of the features in the region, 
whether mountains or rivers. As these Indians are known to be 
recent immigrants, and to have occupied the district for about 40 
years [since about 1840] only, the paucity of names might be supposed 
to be accounted for by this fact. The Stoneys, however, have since 
incorporated with themselves the families of Mountain Crees who 
formerly hunted here, and many of the names which can be ascer- 
tained are either Cree or their equivalents in Stoney. I am, there- 
fore, led to believe that the Crees themselves had come comparatively 
recently into possession of the region, from which they expelled some 
hostile tribe, probably of the Kootanie (Kootenuha) stock. This 
supposition finds confirmation in the statement of the missionary, 
De Smet, who says that, some years previous to the date at which he 
wrote (1849), the Crees and Assiniboines inhabiting the Athabaska 
region had been forced to move southward, owing to the scarcity 
of game, in search of buffalo. It may probably have been at about 
this time that the Crees pushed their way into this part of the moun- 
tains. The present tribe of Rocky Mountain Stoneys (or Assini- 
- boines) is known to be related to the Athabaska Assiniboines. These, 
according to De Smet, separated from the main body of the same 
people to occupy the Athabaska region about sixty years before 1849, 
or in 1790. 
“More detailed enquiry among the Kootanie people than I have 
been able to make, might settle the question as to their former terri- 
torial claims. It is certain, however, that tradition relates constant 
feuds and repeated raids across the mountains between the Kootanie 
and the Blackfoot tribes, and that the former have been accustomed 
from time immemorial to cross to the eastern plains to hunt buffalo. 
It is also probable from the habits of the Blackfoot people, who are 
essentially plain Indians, that they would not willingly inhabit for 
any length of time these mountain fastnesses.”’ 
*Preliminary Report on the Physical and Geological Features of that portion of the 
Rocky Mountains, between Latitudes 49° and 51° 30’, by George M. Dawson, Geo- 
logical and Natural History Survey of Canada, Vol. I, 1885, Part B, pp. 12-13. 
