377 
CHAPTER XXIII 
TRIBES OF THE MACKENZIE AND YUKON BASINS^ 
If we omit from eoiisifleratioii the tribes dwelling along the coast, 
and a small group of Flskimo who occupiefl the northeast corner of 
the continent, all the inhabitants of North America beyond about 
the 56th parallel spoke dialects of that Athapaskan tongue which 
Sapir suggests may be remotely connected with the Tibeto-Chinese- 
Siamese group of languages in eastern Asia. They were essen- 
tially woodland peoples like the Algonkians of eastern Canada; the 
treeless seacoast of the Arctic repelled them, and the “barren lands” 
with their herds of caribou and musk-oxen drew from most tribes 
only brief and hurried incursions. Winter was long and severe in 
their territory, and game, though generally plentiful, subject to 
wide seasonal variations both in numbers and in movements. Per- 
haps for these reasons, jicrhaj^s for others not so readily discernible, 
the Athapaskans appear to have been always jiressing southward 
in the centuries preceding the coming of Fluropeans. To the south- 
east the .Ugonkian Cree blocked all passage; in that direction the 
northerners could make no headway. One tribe, the Sarcee, 
familiar perhaps witli the hunting of buffalo in the Peace River 
area, drifted out into the open prairies and linked its fortunes with 
the Blackfoot ; but none of its fellow-tribes ventured to follow in 
its footsteps. Some, keeping to the woodlands, crossed the Rocky 
mountains into British Columbia, or starting from the basin of the 
upper Yukon river, followed down the western flank of the moun- 
tains and established a line of “colonies” from Alaska to southern 
California. The majority, however, lingered in the northland, 
where they continue to occupy almost the entire basins of tlie IMac- 
kenzie and Auikon rivers. 
SEKANI 
The Sekani (“ People of the Rocks,” i.e. Rocky mountains) 
controlled the basins of the Parsnip aiul Idnlay rivers, and the valley 
1 Ttioso IrilK's, like of Ihr pi’f’f^'dinp: cliaplc!', an* frii'atp'’ spa.'e tliaii llipir liislorical 
importance would api'car to wanant, liccaiisc Tiu'\' arc \'ct-' lililc kiiouai even to proFcsi<ional siiidcnls 
of flic American Indians. 
,sf)ai9-25^ 
