44 
similar to that of the Mackenzie or Grand Kiver Indians, consisting in 
winter of caribou dressed skins, with hair on for their robes as well as for 
their shirts, and leggins, and their shoes are generally sewed to their 
legging”. 
An exact description of the early form of shirt is wanting. Richardson 
(1852, page 248) says that men’s summer shirts were made of caribou skin, 
tanned beautifully white. “A shirt of this material, cut evenly below, 
reaches to the middle; the ends of cloth, secured to a waistband, hang 
down before and behind”. In another place (page 211) he remarks of 
the pointed shirts of the Kutchin that “they have not been adopted by 
the Hare or any of the Chipewyan tribes, who in common with the more 
southern Indians cut their shirts or frocks evenly round at the top of 
the thigh”. The shirts worn until recently by the women were somewhat 
longer than the men’s, and there were added skirts which reached from the 
■waist almost to the knee and were decorated with a single band of bone 
or tin ornaments. The use of skirts is at least as early as Richardson’s 
time (page 249). 
Of decoration, Keith (1890, II, page 121) says of the Hares that “their 
dress is seldom susceptible of the least ornament,” but of the Great Bear 
Lake people, he remarks (page 109) that “their shirts, in particular, are 
ornamented with coloured beads, dyed porcupine quills, and small feathers 
of striking or rare colours. But their women are by no means so ingenious 
or elegant and neat at this kind of work as the Slave women.” 
In recent years trousers of tanned moose or caribou skin have been 
used, but they appear to be copies of the common trade article. Coats 
of tanned mooseskin, open down the front, worn especially by the metis, 
may also be the result of imitation. These were highly decorated with 
fringes, porcupine quills, beads, and embroidery, and were common until 
very recent years. 
Very few instances of caps are known, but children and old men 
are said to have sometimes worn them. A band of tanned skin with the 
hair left on was the common head-dress. Feathers were also worn, 
Richardson (1852, page 248) mentions as equipment for the chase, a 
bandeau of white hareskin, or of the belly part of a caribou skin. 
Winter Dress. In the winter, caribou skin capotes, coat-like garments 
with hoods that cover the head, are still worn by a few Indians. Three 
skins, tanned with the hair, preferably from young animals as they are 
lighter and better looking, are used in making the capote, one for the 
back, another for the front, and the third for the sleeves and hood. In 
recent years velvet is often substituted for the hood and used for facing 
along the open edges of the front and around the cuffs. A fringe of cari- 
bou skin hangs several inches from the seams of the shoulders. The edge 
of the hood, outside and in, is trimmed with wolverine fur. Formerly, 
in place of the velvet facing of the front, the natives sometimes used white 
caribou skin, decorated with porcupine quills and trimmed with such 
furs as ermine and marten, and strings of tanned skin took the place of 
the colourful wool tassels that now fasten the coat. Capotes of beaver 
and marten fur are also known. The Mountain Indians of the country 
west of Norman use the same coat except that they make it of the skins 
of the Rocky Mountain goat and are apt to use more decoration. 
