68 
is covered with caribou parchment and filled with stones, or more recently 
with shot. Russell (1898, page 180) also describes such a specimen, 
which he got from Dogribs. 
A sort of crude whistle is made by the children by drawing the bark 
covering whole from a green willow. One Indian said that loons are 
called by such a whistle. 
Whistling 'with the mouth is an art in itself among the Satudene, 
who, like most Indians, are keen imitators of the sounds of the wild birds 
and small animals, the muskrat in particular. 
Singing is common among the people and especially during the dancing. 
Few of the songs have real words, being made up for the most part of a 
reiterated “he — ha 7 '. Besides the dancing songs, there are gambling 
songs, mourning songs, medicine songs, and love songs. Petitot (1876, 
page 47) also mentions these types of songs and links the medicine songs 
with those for war. They are generally not considered attractive to the 
European ear, but to one accustomed to the strangeness, it is pleasant 
to hear the crying melody of a love song through the still cold of an Arctic 
night. The songs of love and mourning are distinguishable from the 
others, even to an untrained ear, by differences in the rhythm. 1 
Dancing. Dancing is one of the favourite activities among the 
Satudene and very little excuse is necessary to start a performance. In 
the summer the dances are held in the open around the fire, but in the 
winter during recent years the people dance around the stove in an available 
cabin. Children, soon after they are able to walk, join in the performance, 
to the amusement and satisfaction of their elders. The older form of 
the dance is said to consist of a simple side step in time to the drums, 
the whole party, both men and women, joining hands in a circle around 
the fire, singing, and the men moving a great deal more than the women, 
who take only short steps. 
Petitot (1893, page 13) describes a ceremonial dance performed by 
Hare Indians following the killing of a bear. Unfortunately, no similar 
dance was described at Great Bear lake, nor was it possible to get a con- 
firmation of the spectacle here quoted. 
“Mes eompagnons voulurent m’y donner le spectacle de la danse de TOurs, cdrdmonie 
superstitieuse que ces Danites arctiques accomplissent, parait-il, chaque fois qu’ils ont 
tud un de ces plantigrades sans etre accompagnds par des Europdens. Ils eiirent le soin de 
m’avertir que, dans le presente occasion, ils n’dtaient pas mus par le ineme sentiment, 
mais seulement par le dcsir de m’ctre agrdables en m’insstruisant d’une coutume de Ieurs 
ancetres. 
A cette fin, ils placdrent une pierre plate sur les charbons ardcnts de notre foyer, et 
sur cette pierre une de rotules de l’ours. Puis ils se mirent & danser autour de feu en se 
frappant la fesse droite avec une des pattes de T animal. Ils vocifdraient en meme temps: 
— Meni n’aydtri? Meni n’aydtri? Ehiyanhe dhiyanhe! Qui t’a arraehd de ta bauge? 
Tra la la la! 
Alors la rotule, chauffee et commencant & griller et k se recornir, siffia, se mit & geindre, 
puis k se mouvoir par un mouvement de va et vient, comme un vase placd sur un poele 
rouge et sous le fond duquel quelques gouttes d’eau auraient could. C’dtait Teffet 
naturel de l’dvaporation de la graisse ou du pdrioste qui avaient fondu, ou bien eelui de la 
i Records were taken of the various types of songs and it is hoped that they may be analysed at some future 
time. 
