31 
THE ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE GREAT BEAR LAKE 
INDIANS 
By Cornelius B. Osgood 
Contents 
Page 
Introduction 31 
The northeastern Athapaskans 32 
Geography 35 
History and sources of material 36 
Food 37 
Dress 43 
Shelter 46 
Transportation and travel 49 
Tools and implements 55 
War 63 
Art, music, and amusements 64 
Social organization 70 
Social customs 75 
Religion 81 
Mythology 87 
Bibliography 91 
Illustrations 
Plate II. 1. Bear Lake Indian with typical drum 93 
2. Wife of Bear Lake chief, with baby 93 
3. Mountain Indian boy 93 
III. Skin boat of Mountain Indians, Norman 95 
Skin boat (Interior) of Mountain Indians, Norman 95 
IV. Indian houses and uncovered tipi poles 97 
Three girls with dogs, Great Bear lake 97 
Figure 1. Ethnographic map 34 
INTRODUCTION 
This monograph is based on investigations undertaken for the National 
Museum of Canada between May, 1928, and September, 1929. The 
material was gathered principally during a fourteen months' stay among 
the natives of Great Bear Lake region, Mackenzie district, Northwest 
Territories. 
The writer reached Norman early in July, 1928. At that place during 
the following fortnight an epidemic of influenza killed a large part of the 
Indian population. By July 23 a temporary residence was established 
near the site of old Fort Franklin on Great Bear lake, and the following 
five weeks were spent in visiting Dease and McTavish bays. The autumn 
was passed at the fishing settlement at the west end of the lake, and at 
Christmas time a trip was made with the Indians who celebrated at Norman 
and returned to the lake before the year was out. Another journey early 
in April afforded contact with the Mountain Indians who had come into 
Norman for supplies, but an attempt to reach their main camp in the 
Rockies west of the Mackenzie failed after several days' travel, because 
