The caribou hunt was an essential form of life support for the Naskapi, Montagnais, and Cree hunters of the vast Quebec-Labrador Peninsula. The hunters believed that if they honored their quarry by dressing in coats painted with powerful motifs, the caribou would be pleased to give themselves to the hunters, assuring a successful hunt.

This book presents a group of these rare and beautiful painted caribou-skin coats dating from between 1700 and 1930. In the course of her research, the author carefully studied many of the 150 known surviving coats, which are scattered through museum collections in North America and Europe. In the book 60 of the most outstanding examples are described and illustrated, along with diagrams indicating how the skins were cut to shape the coats, and hundreds of drawings showing the subtleties of the patterning.

Introductory sections provide information on the ritual use of the coats; their history, relationship to European influences, construction, design, and decoration; and the significance of the design motifs and colors. Organized in chronological sequence, the coats show the development of the art form, and the cuts reflect the changing styles of contemporary European fashion.

1. Few people today have had the opportunity to examine these coats. With the publication of To Please the Caribou, it is now possible for everyone, including the descendants of those who painted the complex designs and wore the coats, to view the finest surviving examples and to marvel at the skill and artistry of this little-known but very important Native American art.