LIVING ON THE LAND

1. LIVING ON THE LAND CHAPTER 2

2. HARVESTING RESOURCES • wide variety of technologies developed and used • high degree of skill to effectively use natural resources at hand • plants • important for daily, ceremonial and spiritual life • provided food, medicine, tools, dyes, containers, fuel and fibre • most easily harvested • some plants tended for better crop – farming • group activity if picked during short season • usually involved spiritual element • First Fruit ceremony • first berry welcomed and thanked for giving its bounty

3. fishing • usually cooperative effort involving family group • needed understanding of the water – tides, winds, currents • ocean • trolling hooks and nets • beach seines • reef net • river • stone traps • weirs – fence structures • basket traps • dip nets and spears

4. hunting • required highly developed tracking skill and intimate knowledge of territory • needed to understand animal behavior • individual or hunting teams • some fencing and corrals • deadfalls and dug pits

5. PRESERVING AND USING RESOURCES • much labour in stores of food for winter • tasks requiring time done in winter months • preserving food • most common preservation was drying – wind, sun, heat and smoke • structures built for drying/smoking • storage in bentwood boxes, raised caches or underground pits

6. hides • raw hide for cord and drums • valuable for clothing, footwear, shelters • tanning a complex technology needing skill and knowledge

7. textiles and baskets • plant fibres used for clothing, mats, baskets, rope and twine • women usually had role of gathering and processing plants • specialized knowledge of where and how to gather and skills to process • weaving and basket making developed into complex art almost always done by women • robes signifying power, social status, spiritual • Coast Salish highly regarded • raised dog for soft hair • collected mountain goat wool • northern coast • ceremonial robes called Raven’s tail blanket and Chilkat blanket

8. making tools and household goods • winter replenished tools needed • most knew how to make tools required • some experts in to make sophisticated tools • nothing wasted of resources – all parts used • hunter’s most important tool – bow and arrows • skill determined success of hunt • great expertise needed to grind, pierce, and smooth material for utility and beauty • woodworking required great skill • larger items specialized by men

9. creating shelter • different architecture for summer and winter shelters • light and portable in summer • southern interior • winter pit house • excavated into ground with conical roof • up to 30 people in a structure • coastal • used cedar trees for large plank houses known as longhouses or big houses • distinct architectural styles • planks could be removed and transported • important cultural entity and part of social organization

10. transportation • interior – usually walked until arrival of horse in 1700s • developed and maintained network of trails • built bridges • coast – mainly canoe (cedar) • canoe size to 18m • streamlined to travel great distance and carry large cargo

11. MANAGING THE RESOURCES • traditional way of life integrated social, economic, spiritual elements, natural world, and human world The 1996 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples defined spirituality in terms of First Nations people in their relationship to the land and resource management: Spirituality, in Aboriginal discourse, is not a system of beliefs that can be defined like a religion; it is a way of life in which people acknowledge that every element of the material world is in some sense infused with spirit, and all human behaviour is affected by, and in turn has an effect in, a non-material, spiritual realm.

12. spiritual as significant to relationship with land and resource management (45) • way of life • every element of material world is infused with spirit • human behaviour affected by and effects non-material, spiritual realm • example: celebration of earth’s annual rebirth • respect and appreciations for new season • thanked resources for sharing themselves and explained how they would be used • months named after the seasonal activity or resource gathered • special spiritual ceremonies celebrated arrival of key resources • First Salmon, First Fruit, First Root

13. administering resources varied • band would hold territorial rights, but share with other bands • example: St’at’mic family hold rights to specific fishing spots, but once caught all fish needed, others could use the place • hereditary chiefs responsible for prosperity and safety of group • organized economic activities, maintained prestige and social position, lead spiritual pursuits • decisions made consensus Elders and chiefs • all members gave labour and goods to common good of group

14. A concept map is a diagram showing the relationships among concepts. They are graphical tools for organizing and representing knowledge. Concepts, usually represented as boxes or circles, are connected with labeled arrows in a downward-branching hierarchical structure. The relationship between concepts can be articulated in linking phrases such as "gives rise to", "results in", "is required by," or "contributes to".[1] The technique for visualizing these relationships among different concepts is called "Concept mapping". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_map