Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 3, 1963, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press saturday August 3, 1963 19 the people who came from a Wolf head chief of the dog rib tribe making a fishing net from twine. This portrait of a Dob rib shows the typical Indian features with Strong mongolian Strain. Fort r a a Northwest territories is situated approximately 100 Miles North West of the town of Yellowknife. The indians of this area Are known As the dog ribs and number about one thousand. The members of this tribe Are believed to be defendants of the mongolians of Asia. This fact is determined by the Blue mongolian birth Mark i found at the base of the spine on new born infants. However it gradually disappears and is non existent by the time the children reach the age of up 1 Berty. Many of the original beliefs j and superstitions of the dog i rib indians still exist today. For example their firm be Lief is that every member of the tribe has the rib of a dog in his body. Hence the the natives Are very Reluct ant to impart the whole Story but from bits and pieces assembled the following has been reconstructed. Legends of the dog rib indians of the . By Maurice Elwood Abie s pull for the altar now Abie was a Young Man once full of fun fire and fight but at his maturing age j of 20 he Felt this was not in j Ough he must have a wife j this was not strange for i most Young Eskimo men got j married at a Young age and All the Wise Hunters know i that for an Eskimo of the Vil-1 Lage to be successful he must have someone to care for him. And As Abie knew his responsibilities As a native of Tunka Bay he began the search for the one he considered most suitable. Of course there were Many Young girls in the Village but Abie had never pictured them in a romantic Way they were just there to be tolerated. Now he gazed at them More closely studying them carefully and some of them shrank from embarrassment at his insistent staring. Abie was everywhere run Ning from one girl to another and soon he was the talk of the Village. His Boyish curios Ity about girls brought smiles to the Long established Villag ers. It was Good to see a Young Man in search of a wife even if his methods were somewhat Peculiar. But for Abie it was a ser the True Story of How an Eskimo won his Bride ious undertaking. Though he j smiled often and was prone i to laughing at nearly All Situ i actions his face was now set in probing thought it was like a j Hunter stalking a Caribou in a i lean year. I a i there were times when in his enthusiasm he too suffered mild Embarrass ment. One afternoon a blowing cold Day he spied a figure dressed in the warm Parka of a female Eskimo and was off to investigate. But to his consternation when he pulled Back the Hood it j was Only his Mother. I when one is on such an important Mission As Abies these incidents Are considered a necessary risk and so Abie j merely shrugged his Shoul i clerk and resumed his Vigil i Ance. J after a week of peering i prying and peeking some of the girls finally began to take note of him. For although he Fay Ken Klippenstein i was still Young and had i ignored them he had proved i recently he was a Man. On a Hunt several weeks ago. He j was the Only Hunter to bring Down a Caribou. Since then j the villagers had shown him More respect. He was proud too. He car ried his Strong lean body straight and moved very swiftly. His Sun browned face settling into a look of Manly determination and glistened with keen aware Ness of his responsibility in doing is share for the Vil Lage. He was at his age showing signs of becoming a great Hunter. As the girls became More aware of his potentials they ceased being embarrassed by his Impromptu and j Vances. In fact they took the initiative. Soon they were swarm ing All Over him jabbering in j Ces Santly pulling at his Parka two minute Masury the bogus masterpiece from the Smirk connecting your ears i assume you be hit upon a new scheme for Mak ing a million or. Haledjian said to Bertie til Ford. Not quite a corrected Bertie a Young eng Lishman with More ways to avoid work than aces up the sleeve of a Mississippi Gambler. Bertie opened his briefcase and showed Haledjian a pen and Ink sketch of a bearded Fay Donald j. Sobol looks like a Massado to Haledjian marvelled. Gloated Bertie. All the world knows the great artist died in Alaska three years ago. The details were never divulged till his Friend Kiako meeting hard times came to me. The facts continued Bertie that Moreno injured Man to Man hints on How to be Well dressed a fabric seat pad for Auto seat or desk chair in office is a Fine investment. It will prevent the friction of leather or plastic against cloth which causes a Shine when storing any Woolen clothes wrap them in plenty of papers which Moths and Silverfish hate. Every Man accumulates All sort of trivia in his top Bureau drawer and it s usually pretty disorganized. For such things extra watches cuff links lighters pencils pens Etc. Use one of those divided plastic trays that Are found in notions departments and in stationery stores. Use each Sec Tion for a different Type of object. For grease spots put fabric face Down on a blotter and sponge the Back with cleaning fluid. Treating it from the front will imbed the spot further summer Outing spots like Mustard and Catsup can be removed easier if Al Lowed to dry before working on them. A piece of old Terry Towel is Good for cleaning a Felt hat. Rub gently with the Nap on the door wire hat Racks Are Fine but be sure to move your hats around occasionally to keep the wire from Mak ing indentation Marks on the band or the Felt. Packing tips for Vaca Tion when putting a suit on a Hanger to go in a suitcase or garment bag do not Button the coat. Instead Lap the buttonhole Side of the coat Well Over the other Side and it will wrinkle less Safe Way to pack shirts to keep them from wrinkling unfold the shirt Lengthwise then bring the Tail Over the front of the shirt. This will provide a padded Protection for the Collar and shirt bosom. Taboo for tall skip the too Short jackets they accentuate height pass up bold vertical stripes and very distinct herringbone in favor of More Subtle patterns and Glen plaids which give the illusion of Width. Mail bag i m still not sure about combining Brown and Gray in apparel. Is it it can be. One of the very smartest sportswear out fits combines a Brown and Gray jacket and Gray Slacks. His hip in a storm that buried his and Kiako s supplies on the Trail. The weather had been far below freezing for Days and Moreno his hip injured failed rapidly. Kiako got him to an abandoned Shack. He stopped up the broken window with his gloves. As he Tore apart a chair to build a fire Moreno called to him. There was no time. He would t live half an hour. Moreno asked for drawing materials. Kiako found an old pen and a bottle of Ink in a cupboard. Moreno sketched his faithful Friend and died. The prices of morenos have soared since his death. His last picture should be Worth a Quarter million. I can buy it from Kiako for 20 concluded Bertie. Have you 20, old for that portrait not 20 snapped Haledjian. Why did Haledjian say this solution o Pue pips a Zoa a aah Steij Tjui am a pal Joeus ail Pue Job suit Hajj a aah Pmj Jai Yuam by copyright 1963. Jest a second coma straight Home after the explosion pressing him. Poor Abbie never had a Chance. He became confused by the onslaught and sped for the Safe confines his Igloo. They did not bother j him there As he pondered his new plight. As he looked through the Portal of his Home he saw them huddled in a group pos Sibly planning new strategy in belaying him. He also noticed that one was not with the group and even at this distance recognized her As evoke the daughter of his father s Best Friend. Many times he had seen her but since she had drawn apart from the group she be came More fixed in his mind. He reasoned that she must be something special perhaps somewhat Wiser than the oth ers. Her subdued manners impressed him maybe this should be the one. A sobering thought struck him when he remembered she was another s Choice. But Why should that Stop him he must have her. When approached by Abie evoke smiled sweetly honoured that he should talk to her. When told of his plans she could not decide what to do As now there were two that wished to marry her. Accord ing to the marriage rites of the Village Fate would decide the outcome. So the wedding Lay was set. It was a peaceful Day the winds abated and even the temperatures Rose to the occasion and so amid perfect weather the Cere Mony was about to begin. As was the custom in that year of 1913, this took place near the Centre of the Village where All the villagers could watch and cheer. Yes cheer for it was an unusual wed Ding. It was in fact a pull for the altar. At the fateful hour evoke assumed her position Between two igloos about 40 feet Dis Tant. Next entered the dash ing adversaries dressed in furry parkas and mukluks. The villagers roared their approval but it was evident that Abie Vas their Choice for evoke s husband. They approached the expectant Bride cautiously As both knew the importance of Victory. Now they were at her Side. Abie grabbed one Arm and Uncle his rival the other. At the. Signal from evoke s father who with this gesture was giving the Bride away both men exerted pressure on evoke s arms causing her to shudder with pain. The wed Ding ceremony for evoke and the eventual Best Man was underway. There was no or Gan music that Day Only the cheering of the wedding guests and the grunts and groans from the would be grooms. Now they both pulled. Abie in one direction Uncle the other a pretty Bride the object of All this matrimonial pulling. V gradually Abie after much exertion was forcing evoke to Ward his direction. Uncle a not surrendering easy As he applied More strength to his pulling. A trip went one sleeve revealing evoke s Bare Arm to the frigid air. A few More tugs and a trip went the other. Both her arms were now Bare As they continued to be stretched. As evoke was slowly being dragged up Abie s aisle Uncle was applying desperate Power to pull her Back toward his Igloo. Finally he obtained some results As a trip went some More of evoke s wedding apparel. She was hoping that some one would soon win As it was rather Cool in her shredding clothes. Abie had by now achieved about five feet of Progress and was inching Ever ahead. As the feud or wed Ding ceremonies continued evoke s clothing was succumb ing to her bridegrooms efforts and after 20 minutes pulling she was left with but a few tattered remnants of her gown. Eventually Abie s Agil Ity proved itself for with one mighty yank he gained control of the proceedings. With the other bridegroom now hopelessly weakened it was but a few minutes before Abie had evoke pulled to the door step of his Igloo and it was at that instant Uncle released his thus relinquishing his rights to the Bride. They remained an instant in this pose. Abie the proud Victor in his pull for the altar and now husband and the bruised bleeding Blue cold and nearly nude evoke the wife who despite her discomfort still managed a demure smile for her captor. Thus with the pronounce ment of Abie and evoke As Man and wife they retreated into their honeymoon Igloo where after a very unusual but quite customary wedding they began Many years of wedded Bliss. In the beginning a supreme god created the first Indian woman but before an Indian mate could appear on the scene a Wolf encountered her in the Woods one Day. The results of this encounter were catastrophic due to the eventual birth of a litter of Wolf pups except for one which was a Normal male in Dian baby. This then is the beginning of the dog rib tribe and con sequently is the result of a deep seated hatred of wolves and dogs4 these beliefs Are ironic to Day since the natives whole Way of life during the Winter months depends entirely on their dogs. Without dogs they can neither Hunt nor trap and yet their dogs while cared for Are treated cruelly. When a dog becomes sick and is dying on the Trail he is turned Loose from the team to follow behind As Long As he can. When he can no longer keep up the Pace he is left behind in the wilderness to meet his death slowly rather than being despatched with a Bullet. The reason for this is both economic and superstitious. Every Bullet to a native is precious and is used Only to obtain food for his family. And the superstition persists that All clogs Are related to them As they All have the rib of a dog in their bodies and in killing a dog they would in fact be taking the life of one of their Kin. Their superstitions continue beyond this paid even though they will not admit it govern their Way of life from Day to Day. When travelling the lakes and Rivers of the country by Canoe there Are niches in cer Tain rocks where tokens Are left to appease the gods of the Waters. These tokens vary from a Pinch of tobacco a cig Arette paper match stick or .22 calibre Bullet. Whatever the Token it is sufficient to ensure a Safe journey. A the dog rib subsists exclusively on Hunting trapping and fishing. The average in come for the head of a family averages about 5400, obtained from the Sale of their Winter trapping operations. With this Money he sup ports his family for a whole year the Only supplement be ing their family allowance cheques. Their needs Are very simple. Fish which is their main sustenance is eaten twelve months of the year along with Caribou muskrats rabbits squirrels and Partridge and Ptarmigan when in season. With the Advent of Spring the children become restless and begin looking Forward to their treats of boiled Muskrat tails. The Gristle from the Tail of one of these animals is appreciated As much As Candy is by a White child. The dog rib s Way of life is nomadic from fall until Spring and so because of this they live in Canvas tents Dur ing the entire year. They live eat and sleep on the ground in their tents with Only a space Type Heater to Cook on and keep them warm. It is these peo pie sleep by just Curling up in two or three old blankets or a quilt during 40 and 50 weather. Another significant trait of this tribe is that they Are inveterate gamblers. From the youngest to the old est they Gamble for anything from Sticks to matches Cigar Ette papers cigarettes shells and Money but oddly enough one of their favorite games is chinese checkers. Rummy is rampant As a card game. Their tribal game is mainly played during the festive season each year when they Are paid their treaty Money. The game is played throughout the Day for four or five Days to the accompaniment of pounding Drums singing and chanting. As a player becomes exhausted he Rolls Over and goes to sleep and another Steps in to take his place. This is the Way of the dog rib Indian from the North West territories where there is no night during the month of june. Where the land is warm and Friendly during the Short summer months but where the Winter season holds the land in its icy grip from the end of september until May each year. A favorite pastime of the dog ribs is to sit in the Sun and play chinese checkers. The Teepee is now almost extinct replaced by the Canvas Wall tent. The ground inside is still covered with fragrant Pine bows. The Nice Guys get ulcers Washington not Long ago we almost had an ulcer. The doctor explained to us the Rea son was because we were burying All kinds of hostility inside ourself with out even realizing it. As with most american men we did t know when to get mad and when not to and while on the out Side we were the calmest and sweetest of All human beings inside we were writhing with anger and frustration. When you get angry sound the doctor told us. Don t hold it in. We re All basically hostile and it s nothing to be ashamed of. Stop being a Nice Guy. If you Don t let off steam you re going to get your Well it was the doctor s orders so that night when we came Home from the office we were ready to follow them out. Our wife greeted us at the door with a kiss As she usually does. Why do you always have to kiss me when i come Home at we snarled. What exactly does that mean she demanded. We be been married Long enough we Don t by Art Buchwald have to go around kiss ing each Olaer All the we said angrily. Her face started to red Den. Well excuse me. I did t think i was doing anything that s the trouble around i shouted nobody thinks they re doing anything wrong. I have news for you. I be got hostile feelings Well who said you she said As she went into the Kitchen and slammed the door. We were starting to feel bettor already. An hour later we All sat Down to dinner. Please pass the Pota toes our nine year old son said. What Are you interrupting we yelled. A i said was please pass the potatoes " that can be considered an now Don t Start on my wife warned. I m fed up with being or. Nice Guy around Here. First he asks for the potatoes next hell ask for Money then hell want to go out with girls and pretty soon hell be drinking and smoking. Somebody has to speak up. Hell thank me some Day for not passing the to after dinner we started punching the pillows on the Couch. Then the door Bell rang. The boy collecting Money for the newspaper was standing there. What do you we demanded. The Money for the he replied. I Don t have any Money. Now what Are you going to do about and we slammed the door. Thirty minutes later the Doorbell rang again. The paper boy was there with his father. Why Don t you pay the kid for delivering your the father wanted to know. He can t fight his own Battles huh i thought he was what do you yellow let s step out Here and see who s Yel i m stepping outside to fight the father of some kid who can t fight his own for the rest of the eve Ning we vented our Hostil Ity against our Mother in Law who telephoned a neighbor who wanted us for dinner and a. Woman collecting Money for the american red Pross. The next Day we called the doctor. All bets Are we informed him. He wanted to know. My son ran away from Home my wife is packing her bags i can t get the morning newspapers any More someone s father wants to sock me in the jaw none of the neigh Bors Are talking to me my Mother in Law is going to visit me because she fears for the safety of the children and i be just been marked Lousy be cause i would t give to the american red i see what you the doctor said. Maybe you better take up Golf we look at the Doc in disbelief. Now you Tell copyright 1963 new York Herald Tribune inc ;