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Kocky mountains. In the north the Chipewyans, obtaining guns at 
Churchill, oppressed the more distant Athapaskan tribes and kept 
them from visiting the trading post until smallpox decimated all the 
bands and the traders opened new posts on the Mackenzie. 
Furs, always more furs, the traders demanded in return for the 
steel tools, the guns, ammunition, liquor, and other perquisites of 
civilization that they held out as bait to the various tribes. Pre- 
viously the Indians had paid little regard to the smaller fur-bearing 
animals, which held an insignificant place in their food supply. To 
meet this new and unceasing demand they trapped intensively, and 
when they had depleted their own hunting-grounds expanded into 
]iew areas, often invading the territories of their neighbours. The 
Cree drove the Eskimo out of James bay, and the Slave and Beaver 
from the distiicts around Athabaska lake and Slave river. The 
Ojibwa spread westward into the lied River country and the state 
of North Dakota; the Iroquois pushed out to the rich beaver area 
near lake Winnipcgosis, then a little later into the foothills of the 
Rockies and beyond them to the headwaters of the Fraser. Thomp- 
son gives a vivid picture of what happened west and northwest of 
lake Winnipegosis. 
“ The Nepissings, the Algonquins and Iroquois Indians having 
exhausted their own countries, now spread themselves over these 
countries, and as they destroyed the Beaver, moved forwards to the 
northward and westward: the natives the Nahathaways (Cree), did 
not in the least molest them; the Chippaways and other tribes made 
use of traps of steel; and of the castorum. For several years all 
these Indians were rich, the women and children, as well as the 
men were covered with silver broaclies, ear-rings, wampum, beads, 
and other trinkets. Their mantles were of fine scarlet cloth, and all 
was finery and dress. The canoes of the fur-traders were loaded with 
packs of beaver, the abundance of the article lowered the Eondon 
prices. Every intelligent man saw the poverty that would follow 
the destruction of the beaver, but there were no chiefs to control it; 
all was perfect liberty and eciuality. Four years afterwards (1797) 
almost the whole of these extensive countries were denuded of beaver, 
the natives became poor, and with difficulty procured the first neces- 
sities of life, and in this state they remain, and probably forever. A 
worn out field may be manured, and again made fertile; but the 
