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who live in a vaguely defined land of the hereafter where life is much 
the same as it is on earth. The living are little bothered by these ghosts, 
but occasionally one returns to the country of life where it may be seen. 
An old woman walking through the mist along the shore of a bay saw 
such a ghost (« wet) and returning to her people, she told them of the 
occurrence. The following day she died. It is always thus, the people 
say, for to see the ghost of the departed is a certain warning of death. 
Two spirits seem to be definitely recognized as associated with good 
and evil. There is Newetsini (ne we tsi ni), the good spirit whose name 
is associated with the creation, and Kitsili (ki tsi U), the bad spirit, who 
is more likely to scare people and play evil tricks than to do serious harm. 
By some it is said to be Kitsili who whistles in the fire. 
The custom of feeding the fire still shows up among the Satudene 
children, who, noticing the peculiar hissing that occurs when a pocket of 
moisture in a log burns, throw in bits of food, while their parents refrain, 
either censuring the children or laughing, if the action is observed. At 
Good Hope, the purpose of putting food in the fire was said to be to feed 
the dead, and the following incident was given as explanation. Long 
ago a man who was hunting killed a moose. Then he made a camp and 
built a fire. Before long, the spirits of his brothers who had been killed 
in war came to him and said, “Why do you not see us and give us some- 
thing to eat?” But he could not see them because they were spirits, 
nor could they take the meat. Then he dropped some in the fire and the 
spirits ate it. Hence, when the Indians hear the peculiar whistling, 
they know the spirits are hungry and they burn some food for them. 
If this were not done, bad luck in hunting would follow. All feasts were 
said to have been formerly begun in this way. 
The animals that occupy the universe are thought to share most 
human characteristics. Petitot says (1893, page 353) that he was told 
by the Indians at Great Bear lake that the caribou were ancient men, 
and that his informant said these inexplicable transformations often 
occurred. Whitney (1896, page 263) states that the Dogribs also strongly 
believe that men and women after death are reincarnated as wild beasts 
of the country, and for that reason the musk-ox and caribou understand 
what Indians say (See also: Pike, 1892, page 104). Pike mentions the 
idea (1892, page 55) that caribou on some occasions vanish into the ground 
or disappear into the air. Animals were reputed to keep warm by means 
of fires which were visible only to the shamans. There are a great many 
taboos relating to the treatment of animals killed, most of which have 
myths as explanation. Lynx, for instance, when trapped, must not be 
killed with a stick but choked with a snare. Otherwise, it is said, the 
animal will be very angry. Lynx feet must not be burned, or it will never 
permit itself to be caught. An Indian accidentally burned the foot of 
a lynx while thawing the carcass and in the following fifteen years he killed 
only three more lynx. Dogs must not be allowed to eat marten or the 
marten will refuse to enter a trap. The noses of beaver are stopped with 
sticks and the nostrils of game birds with feathers lest they smell offensive 
blood. If dogs eat the feet of ptarmigan, the birds will never come back. 
Such taboos were probably very numerous in ancient times. 
Of the animals, the most important position is taken by the wolf 
and dog which are held to be sacred, and it is said that even in the worst 
