The Indians of the North. 



379 



" We are over four hundred families, and more than four to the 

 family. We have lived in this country always. It is ours. We 

 have been dependent upon the Hudson's Bay Company all our lives, 

 and our fathers before us, and their fathers were, too. The Hudson's 

 Bay men take all 

 our furs, and give 

 us nothing in re- 

 turn but tobacco 

 and powder and 

 shot, and when fish 

 and game are scarce 

 sometimes we are 

 almost starved ; but 

 we get no help. 



" These lands 

 have been paid for. 

 The Canadian Gov- 

 ernment paid a 

 great many thous- 

 ands of dollars for 

 this country, in- 

 cluding where we 

 live, but they paid 

 it to the wrong par- 

 ties. They paid it 

 to the Hudson's 

 Bay Company; but 

 that company never 

 owned these lands. 

 They are ours. The 

 wrong parties got 



the money. The Queen's Agent should get the money back, and 

 give us our share. 



" The Crees to the south of us, our own brothers and our friends, 

 part of ourselves, are getting treaty money every year. We cannot 

 go up there and get anything. We are not recognized. We are 



CHIFPEWAYAN SYLLABARIUM. 



