New-York tribune., 1908-09-21
VISITED CANOE INDIANS
f.. ". Deming Tells Of Trip to
Hudson Bay Territory.

Edwin W Dsnling painter and sculptor OF Mac
dougai Alley, returned yesterday from trip the
Canoe Indians of the ojibvay tribe. in Hudson
Bay territory, about whom little has bsretofore
been learned by ethuoIogists. Mr.. Demng made
many sketches for paintings. which will be shown
in London next spring, and more than hundred
photographs and obtained data OF folklore Of in
terest He lived with the Plains Indians in the
Dakotas and the Mountain and Coast Indians years
ago and was adopted by them This is
the first time he lived with the Canoe Indians.
who treasure the tradition OF the story OF Hia-
waths and have endless folk tales.
Mr. Deunnz with a companion. Dr. Harlow
Brooks went from New York about a month ago TO
Montreal From there they travelled the Ca
madam Pacific to North Bay and thence By the
Teniskan7fng & Northern Ontario Railway TO tie
end Of the road-Macdougai Shoots. This ts
waterfall named after an old Indian whose grand
son Mr. Dennins employed with another Indian
Taking along birchbsrk canoes. they made four
days journey from civilization into the Indiau
country in which no white man was encountered
They. had to portagz everything, including pro
visions and painting outfit from one lake to an
other until they reached Northeru Ontario near
James Bay.
Speaking Of his trip. Mr.. DeTning said yeseerdaS'
Little has besn known Of the Canoe Indians
They are pagans. believe in a Great spirit anu
have many folk tales They expert riders IN
their canoes They ride rapids safely sfanoins up.
With hardly any tools and more by a sense OF
knowing how, they build canoes without messuIe
rnent which are beautifully proportional IN the
most dextrous way. These birchbark canoes ruii
the rapids as they could not be run by the canoes
made by the white man.
"Oae night in camp got old indian tax
ing. He had spent his life trapping animals snd
were discussing the nature-faking controVe
You remember the story told by Dr. William j.
Long. OF how the fisher OF the weasel FAMILY.
would dig under the snow and come up under the
porcupne and attack it in its vulnerable psrt-lts
stomach This statement was denounced by A dis
tiueuished naturalist 4 fake but this old
Indian declared he had often observed a veasei
catching rabbits by burrowing under the sno"
and attacking them by coming up under them
"A remarkable incident related by this Indian
was about a deer's trail that he was following
through the snow when ne discovered lynx had
come on the trail ahead Of him Following the
trail for some distance, he found where the deer
had lain down. the lynx had jumped on his back
and the deer after making tremendous leaps had
run under a haIf-upturned tree which hit the lynx
and killed him. The lynx was found dead ana the
deer escaped. injured. leaving bloody tracks
.AH summer these Indians travel with canoes
and portage with great weights In the winter,
when the lakes freeze up. they travel on Snow
shoes using toboggans for pulling weights. Every
family has a team of dogs which are nearly
starved in the summer, but in the fall are fat
tened I'D with meat 10 enable them TO make
long and fast trips. These Indians seldom come
in contact with civilization Their winters are ter
rfblv severe, and when they are without supplies
csnuipaIfsrn coca asfonaIiy occurs. saw one Old
Indian woman who has practised cannibalisTn- Al
though she is moested. she is generally looked
on with dread and the children are afraid OF her.