i62 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTIC. [VoL. IV. 



CHAPTER X. 

 Dress and Personal Adornment. 



COMMON dress. 



It would be difficult at the present time to reconstruct in all its details 

 the national dress of the prehistoric Western Denes, if indeed there ever 

 existed any national or uniform costume for each and all of the 

 different tribes and sub-tribes under study. Sir A. Mackenzie, in his 

 account of the voyage of discovery he made in 1793 through part of 

 their territory, might perhaps enlighten on this subject the reader who 

 can have access to his narrative.* Not enjoying this advantage, I must 

 content myself with what I have learnt from daily intercourse with the 

 most reliable among the older Carriers. 



Speaking of the dress of the Eastern Denes, the Rev. E. Petitot has 

 the following to say : — 



" Outre la blouse de peau blanche a queues decorees de franges et de 

 breloques metalliques, qui fut le costume primitif des Dene-Dindjie et 

 que portent encore les Loucheux, ceux-ci, ainsi que les Peaux-de-Lievre 

 y joignent un pantalon de meme matiere et aussi richement orne, qui est 

 cousu avec la chaussure. II est porte par les femmes comme par les 

 hommes. Les tribus plus meridionales remplacent le pantalon par les 

 cuissards ou mitasses que des jarretieres retiennent aux jambes, et par un 

 pagne oblong d'une etoffe quelconque. 



" La robe des femmes est tres courte et ornee d'une profusion de 

 franges, de houppes de laine, de verroteries et de breloques sonores. 

 La chaussure generale est le mocassin, ou Soulier de peau molle qui 

 emprisonne et dessine le pied comme un gant le fait de la main. Durant 

 I'hiver le renne, le castor et le lievre arctique sont mis a contribution pour 

 fournir a I'habitant du desert des vetements aussi chauds que legers et 

 commodes. j- 



That the dress of the Western Denes considerably differed from that 

 of their Eastern congeners such as above described is beyond the 

 possibility of a doubt. And no wonder. Being of an imitative turn of 



* Voyages from Montreal, on the river St. Lawrence, through the continent of North America, 

 to the Frozen and Pacific oceans ; in the years 1789 and 1793, etc., London, 1801. 

 + Monographic des Dene-Dindjie, p. xxiv ; Paris, 1876. 



