Chapter 2 Living on the Land

Respect for the Land and Resources First Nations people respect and co-exist with nature Resources are viewed as more than food or materials, but as gifts from the natural and supernatural realms thank animals and plants for sharing their gifts with the people

Respect Influences Land Use This respect for the land influences how they use resources and why First Nations are on the front lines of environmental activism Stewardship: care and management of the local resources. It implies a responsibility to respect and protect the resources in return for using them.

Swanson Occupation A group of First Nations and environmentalists are occupying a salmon farm near Alert Bay, B.C., and say they won't leave until the provincial and federal governments revoke permits for illegal Marine Harvest Canada salmon farms in their territorial waters off the north end of Vancouver Island. Farmed Atlantic salmon threatening wild salmon and herring stocks -  fish appeared blind, deformed or diseased

The Threat is Evident Unhealthy Farmed Salmon in Marine Harvest Canada salmon farms Healthy Salmon

HARVESTING RESOURCES wide variety of technologies developed and used high degree of skill to effectively use natural resources at hand

Gathering Plants Important for daily, ceremonial and spiritual life provided food, medicine, tools, dyes, containers, fuel and fibre most easily harvested by hand or with simple tools woven baskets, digging sticks, adzes for chopping some plants tended for better crop Done mainly by women, but a group activity if picked during short season usually involved spiritual element First Fruit ceremony first berry welcomed and thanked for giving its bounty

Fishing Techniques Cooperative effort involving a family group needed understanding of the water – tides, winds, currents open ocean: trolling hooks or nets tidal waters: beach seines, reef net ocean river mouths: stone traps rivers: weirs, spears, dip nets, basket traps, platforms, stages, gill nets, torch lights needed understanding of the species Oolichan: funnel-shaped nets, dip nets, rakes Halibut hooks Ice fishing: fishing lines of sinew Sturgeon fishing: double-headed harpoon, large trawl net

Hunting Techniques Required highly developed tracking skill, intimate knowledge of territory, and needed to understand animal behavior Attract animals using sounds that mimic deer or moose Individually hunted using bows and arrows People worked together to hunt whole herds; hunting teams Fences or corrals, Deadfalls, Dug Pits

PRESERVING AND USING RESOURCES Most common preservation was drying – wind, sun, heat and smoke structure built to dry or smoke meat: open air racks, smokehouses Coast: stored food in bentwood boxes Interior: raised caches, underground pits (winter)

Hides raw hide for cord and drums valuable for clothing, footwear, shelters tanning a complex technology needing skill and knowledge tanning the skins: skin the animal and scrape the hair and fat off chemical process timing

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 gather and process skills weaving and basket making developed into complex art almost always done by women robes signifying power, social status, spiritual Coast Salish highly regarded

Making Tools and Household Goods winter replenished tools needed most knew how to make tools some experts in to make sophisticated tools great expertise needed to grind, pierce, and smooth material for utility and beauty hunter’s most important tool – bow and arrows Nothing wasted of resources – all parts used Moose - parts not used for food: skin - tanned for many uses antlers - moose calls, knives, scrappers bones - awls and needles sinew – thread stomach – bag larger items specialized by men

Creating Shelter different architecture for summer and winter shelters Interior Tipis light and portable in summer southern interior winter pit house : enter through smokehold ladder earth insulated and easy to heat, excavated into ground with conical roof, up to 30 people in a structure coastal longhouses or big houses planks could be removed and transported important cultural entity and part of social organization decorated with crests, hosted potlatches

Transportation interior – usually walked until arrival of horse in 1700s developed and maintained network of trails -built bridges Snowshoes canoes birch bark, dugout canoes of cottonwood, cedar, or ponderosa pine canoe size to 18mcarry 20 passengers streamlined to travel great distance and carry large cargo North: skin canoes - frame of light wood covered with skins

MANAGING THE RESOURCES 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. traditional way of life integrated social, economic, spiritual elements, natural world, and human world

Spirituality and Resources Interconnect 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 rituals followed when disposing of unused portions months named after the seasonal activity or resource gathered special spiritual ceremonies celebrated arrival of key resources

Administering Resources Varied band would hold territorial rights, but share with other bands example: a 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 by consensus Elders and chiefs Resources shared for the common good