64 
Leaders were undoubtedly chosen to head the war parties, but lost 
their authority as soon as the raiding was over. Wentzel thus describes 
the war chiefs of the Beaver (Slave). He also states that scalps were not 
taken but that the dead were stripped of their clothing, which served as 
tokens to show on the warrior’s victorious return to their own families. 
The Slave also, for their own protection, felled trees around their camps 
to make a barricade of sharpened branches. As a sign of peace, a cut of 
meat was hoisted on a long stick ( See Wentzel, 1890, I, page 92). When 
prisoners were taken, the men were probably always killed and the women 
and children adopted into the tribe. Pdre Petitot reports (1876, page 60) 
ceremonial cannibalism among the Hares. 
“Jadis, dans la tribu des Peaux de Li6vre, on traitait les prisonniers de guerre h peu 
preis comme en usaient les anciens Mexicains, les modernes Sioux, les Chinois et les Celtes. 
Apr&s les avoir 6tendus sur le dos, on les fichait en terre au moyen d’un pieu aigu qui 
leur traversal le nombril, on leur ouvrait la poitrine avec un couteau de silex, et, apres 
leur avoir arrach4 le coeur, on le donnait aux femmes qui, avec rage, le m&chaient tout 
palpitant.” 
The Satudene at the present time seem to have no recollection of this 
custom. With the establishment of the fur posts warfare gradually dis- 
appeared among the Mackenzie River tribes and taking of human life is 
today extraordinarily rare. 
ART, MUSIC, AND AMUSEMENTS 
Art. The Satudene can be characterized by the meagreness of their 
attempts at decorative art in all its forms. Primitive decorative designs 
were used on articles of clothing, particularly on footwear, but except for 
the latter, examples of the aboriginal art are now almost non-existent. 
Various types of bags, especially the moss-bag and fire-bag, and the carry- 
ing-strap were artistically treated, principally with porcupine quills. 
The designs were geometrical, to which form quills most naturally lend 
themselves, and the diamond was the commonest figure. The process 
shown in moccasins by which the porcupine quills were sewn on was extra- 
ordinarily simple, a quill being laid down on the surface of the skin to be 
decorated and sewn across at the point that was to be the edge. It was 
then doubled back and sewn at the opposite edge. Another quill was 
added by' placing it under the preceding before the last sewing of the latter, 
thus leaving the end of each quill underneath and unseen. At the present 
day among the Satudene porcupine quill work is limited practically to 
moccasins. The colouring is variegated, but is most often made up of 
blues and reds. The dyes are purchased from the traders. 
The only moosehair work done for decoration among the Satudene 
today is the piping around the decorated area of the moccasins, and for 
that purpose imported horsehair is generally substituted. The excellent 
moosehair work that is done by the Indians of Providence on upper Mac- 
kenzie river is unknown at Great Bear lake, and it seems almost certain 
that in the latter place neither porcupine quill nor moosehair work 
approached the artistic development that it did in other regions. 
Painting and Dyeing . Primitive painting or drawing is unknown 
among the Satudene today. Russell (1898, page 168) says that among the 
Dogribs the two circular seams of the tipi were decorated with a band of 
