The Book of Dene : Containing the Traditions and Beliefs of Chipewyan, Dogrib, Slavey, and Loucheux Peoples

Hardcover, 78 pages, 55x8 in - 14x20 cm.

Spine and back cover lightly rubbed at corners. Hinge tender between title and half-title.

This small volume (14 x 20 cm.; 5.5 x 8 in.) contains myths and stories gathered from the Chipewyan, Dogrib, Slavey, and Gwich'in (here, "Loucheux") peoples. A brief introduction explains that the stories were initially told to Oblate missionary Emile Petitot, who wrote them down in "the Dene language" (although the current text was translated from French). The textual apparatus resembles that of the Bible, with book/chapter headings and chapter/verse numbers. The volume includes mythic origin stories (such as humankind's creation in "The First Man"), explanatory legends (such as "The Shark," which explains the animosity between sharks and humans), accounts of events (such as "Story of the Arrival of the Europeans at Great Bear Lake"), and elaboration on traditions (such as the funerary practices outlined in "Funeral Passage Among the Tents"). Text in English.