Aboriginal Economies

Aboriginal Technologies The common stereotype is aboriginal societies were primitive and did not have any technology. This is not true. Aboriginals had a different way of life and had a view of nature that was very different than the European View. There was no money or individual wealth. They respected the environment an d environment respected them. People were no more important than a bear or tree.

Aboriginals had a very advanced knowledge of plant science that would later have a great impact on food development and medicine throughout the world. 60 percent of the worlds crops today were originally cultivated by aboriginal peoples.

Crops such as Potatoes, corn, peppers, tomatoes instigated a revolution in agriculture. People had more variety in their diets which made meals more balenced and nutritious which in turn increased the population of the world.

Aboriginals also developed sophisticated stone tool technologies and methods of transportation that were ideally suited for their environment.

Aboriginal economies were shaped primarily by the landscape and climate of their land. If their land had rivers they developed canoes. If there were large mammals such as Caribou, they developed hunting tools for them.

Farming Technologies Aboriginals provided Europeans with many new crops through trade, developed sustainable farming techniques, and demonstrated advanced food preservation techniques. European agriculture was focused on animal farming.

Corn Through careful observation and genetic selection aboriginals developed many varieties of corn such as sweet corn, dent corn, flint corn. They developed grinding and drying technologies that preserved food while keeping it’s nutritional value.

They also learned how to harvest wild food such as turnip, rice, and berries in ways that sustained their perpetual growth.

The First Farmers The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) are considered the first Farmers. They were located in the fertile region of the St. Lawrence Lowlands. Farming resulted in the Iroquois having one of the highest population density in North America.

Women were responsible for harvesting and raising crops which gave them elevated status within their society. Crops were harvested using hoes made from moose antlers and the shoulder blades of deer. Beans and corn were stored in chests of bark and squash was stored underground.

Medical Technologies At the time of contact, aboriginal medicines healed on both body and mind. They became the basis of modern western pharmacology. Over 500 drugs in use today originated in aboriginal societies. The wendat tribe saved Jacques Cartiers men from scurvey by developing a drink from birch bark which was rich in vitamin C.

Trade Economies There is a great variety of resources in North America. These were extensively traded between aboriginal groups. Vast networks were set up, this was evident in artifacts from labrador being found in the st. Lawrence lowlands.

Most commonly traded tools included arrowheads, tools and shells. The mineral obsidian was also very important in creating hunting tools. Shells were used on clothing to symbolize importance within a tribe.

Transportation Technologies Another important Aboriginal invention is the canoe. This was very important to the development of Canada as a Nation. It allowed for the discovery of the interior of the land. Trade was only made possible because of the canoe.

Wealth and Social Standing Wealth had a very different definition compared to our society. Wealth as valued by spiritual powers and good relationships. Material possessions were valued but only for the prestige associated with giving them away at ceremonies.

The Potlatch In the Pacific coast societies, sharing of wealth was evident in a ceremony called Potlatch. This was a feast in which the host family shared its wealth with poorer members of the communities. Gifts of food artwork and slaves were given away.