The native people of Bristol Bay are still as tied to the natural resources of the area as their ancestors were. They continue to gather herbaceous vegetation to support their diet and medical uses. They also carry on communal traditional songs, dances, and storytelling centered around hunting and fishing exploits. The Bristol Bay watershed provides sanctuary to abundant varieties of animal species, including 29 fishes (ex. trout, cod, halibut), more than 190 birds (ex. ducks, cranes, bald eagles), and more than 40 native mammals (ex. moose, black bear, caribou) (http://americanprogress.org). At the forefront of these ecological treasures is the salmon which is lynchpin at the very core of the communities adjoined to form Bristol Bay. The …show more content…
There are no artificial breeding farms within the streams and rivers of the watershed so the run is composed entirely of wild salmon. Salmon runs in this region have been occurring for over 9000 years, sustaining the lives of indigenous peoples during that time. These influxes of migrations support the entire region primarily by way of subsistence and commercial fishing, as well as, through sport fishing, ecotourism, and hunting of attracted predatory mammals. For thousands of rural Alaskans cut off from big cities, salmon fishing is THE quintessential means by which people support themselves, their families, and communities. As a part of the EPA’s evaluation of the impact of salmon in the region, cultural investigative questions were asked to the Native populace by Kenai Peninsula College Anthropologist, Dr. Alan Borass. Examples of questions asked include: “How is wealth defined in this community?” and “If you couldn’t have wild salmon, what would you do?”. A response by a tribesman of the Yupik people was, “If we lose them we will starve”. Wealth according the Native people of the region was defined as “possessing a freezer full of salmon, having the love and support of their families, and personal freedom” (Great Blessings of the Water: Sacred Water in Southwest Alaska …show more content…
Dr Boraas went on to state, “There are no cultures of the other almost 30 that can today rely on wild salmon because the salmon runs have been destroyed. Only [in] one place—only one place—can cultures carry on the traditions of their ancestors, making the transition from prehistory to now. The technology changes, but the attitudes, many of the beliefs, and the impact on the culture are still there. And that’s the Dena’ina and the Yup’ik of this area.” According to the Alaska Division of Subsistence, statistical documentation indicates that 80% of Native Alaskan diet comes from wild foods with salmon at the forefront (adfg.alaska.gov). It is a common misconception that residents within this region adopt subsistence lifestyles because of poverty or lack of options. This is simply not true. The vast majority choose to continue the lifestyles of their ancestors out of a sincere desire to carry on tradition. A community newspaper that serves the local area writes:”… [S]almon is more than just what’s for dinner. Salmon feeds the ways in which the
Before recorded history, people lived along the shores of Henderson Inlet. These people were the Nisqually. The historical evidence of Nisqually habitation in the area is the presence of a shell midden on lower Chapman Bay by archaeological explorations. The natives lived in small groups, their livelihood was determined by availability of food and the local topography. Because a fresh water stream meant a source of potable water and proximity to salmon runs, these small groups were always located along a steam or near its mouth. Marian Smith, an ethnologist, provided a more exact location as “on South Bay or Henderson Inlet between the creek at the head and that on the south.” She called this small group tuts’e’tcaxt. While the exact location of this small group is no longer known, some uncertain conclusions can be made about Native American activity in the Woodard Bay area. Tuts’e’tcaxt was a permanent village, consisting of two cedar plank houses that measured approximately 30 feet by 100 feet. Here the natives lived during the severe winter months. (Andrew Poultridge. 1991)
...sion Native Americans made a connection with the earth that was an ongoing affirmation to be close to nature. To witness the beauty of the land and all it had to offer them. Seattle’s address took a strong and powerful stance against the Americans, not only did he stand up for his people but he showed the wrong in the Americans. The essay and art work have affected the progress and solidity of the Native American culture in the past and the present. Each piece possess vitality, power and a drive to move forward, they also coincide on different levels where as to the message, that they bring forth understanding the environment and relationship between land, and man.” At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled and still love this beautiful land” (Seattle, 57).
Fishing and hunting have been at the core of many American Indian cultures like the Nisqually since precontact. Indian hunting, fishing and gathering were conducted then—as they are now—not for sport, but for food and for a livelihood. This was well understood by the early colonists and later by the U.S. government. Thus, many of the treaties (e.g., Medicine Creek, 1854) negotiated between the federal government and Indian tribes in the nineteenth century contained provisions guaranteeing rights to hunt and fish. In the trea¬ty negotiated by Isaac Stevens, the tribe ceded to the U.S. some of the Nisqually vil¬lages and prairies, but Article Three reserved the tribe’s right to fish “at all usual and accustomed grounds and stations…in common with all citizens of the Territory.” (FL 12) But the growth of the European American population, and with it the proliferation of fenced lands, the destruction of natural habitat, and often the destruction of wildlife itself, drastically curtailed the Indians' ability to carry on these activities. Charles Wilkinson’s thesis declares that the “messages from Frank’s Landing” are “messages about ourselves, about the natural world, about societies past, about this society, and about societies to come.” (FL 6)
Within this paper, a glimpse into the Yupiaq society will hopefully be accomplished by answering a few questions. First question, what is the Yupiaq worldview? Next, what are the core values that are essential to the success of Yupiaq society? And finally, how are those values expressed in their approach to subsistence behaviors and knowledge of their environment?
The PBS documentary begins by explaining the normal life cycle of salmon, focusing primarily on the sockeye salmon population. This Pacific salmon once was found abundantly in the Columbia and Snake River, but as rivers were straightened and dams were built to meet the needs of population growth the fish population has diminished by the thousands.
Hunting, which was the primal source of food, goes far beyond satisfying the physical body. Therefore societies, such as the Eskimo, handle every aspect of their food in a `special' and symbolic way. This is what Gill was explaining and the ceremonies, as well as, the way of life in regards to the food are evidence of this.
By analyzing the Kawaiisu, a Great Basin Native tribe, I want to explore cultural wonders and observe their society as I compare an aspect of interest with that of another culture in the world, the Chuuk. Comparing different societies of the world will allow me to successfully learn about the Kawaiisu people in a more detailed and open minded manner. Populations all around the world throughout time have had different views and traditions of beliefs. Through this project, I hope to unravel and gain an understanding of different perspectives and ways of life.
The Inuits food plans are fish and hunted arctic animals. The main reason the Inuit are still in northern Canada, is because they are used to their lifestyle and the northern
The Chesapeake Bay is a large estuary located on the east coast of the United States. The bay is over 200 miles long and goes through Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The bay has much to offer the locals. Many locals have made a career out of harvesting the bay's sea food. The bay's harvest and many of its other attractions bring tourists and in turn revenue for the area. Oysters and blue crab are a big part of the culture in the bay area. However, these organisms are in danger and need help.
Higgins, J. (2008). Lifestyle of Fishers, 1600-1900. Retrieved June 14, 2014, from Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage: http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/fishers_lifestyle.html
The United States Pacific Northwest has historically been a significant player in the global fishing industry. However, over the last half-century, the fish population in the area has been declining at an alarming rate. Popular species of fish such as cod and salmon have been particularly susceptible to these decreases. What once was a region flourishing with abundant fish populations, is now in danger of being exploited to the point of extinction of certain species. The majority of these population drops is attributed to increased industrialization and overfishing in the region. The ocean is a commons, as defined by Garrett Hardin in his “The Tragedy of the Commons”, and is being exploited as an open resource, resulting in a reduction of fish and industrial fisheries in the Pacific Northwest. Enforced government regulation is the only viable course of action to deter the declining fish populations. Fisheries have been exploiting the region, and limiting the amount of fish one can catch, particularly of specific species, may lead to more balanced levels of fish population.
Terrell (2015) states that the three inch delta smelt was decided to be in danger of going extinct a little more than twenty years ago. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has claimed that systems used by farmers to retrieve water from the delta have added to the dropping number of delta smelt. Conservationists think it is necessary for people and farmers to take their water from sources other than the delta in order to preserve the characteristics of the delta (Terrell, 2015). Dr. Peter Moyle of UC Davis stated in an interview,“We have 80 fish species in California, like the delta smelt, that are in trouble” (Cited in Terrell, 2015, p.12). Moyle insists that it is more than just the three inch delta smelt that is in danger, it is at least seventy-nine other species that need protecting as well. As interviewed by Siegler (2015), senior water rights farmer, Rudy Mussi knows the importance of the delta and preserving it, not just so he can use its water on his fields, but also to keep it alive for the future. It has been suggested that water be taken out of the delta and moved to farmers in the lower portion of California who have junior water rights (Siegler, 2015). The delta cannot be overused because it is important that the ratio of saltwater to freshwater stays the same in order to preserve the fish population. In 2014 the excess water that came from the delta, the environment in which the fish live, added up to almost two hundred fifty billion gallons of water or enough for over six and a half million people each year (“Water wars”, 2015) While these people cannot easily access this water source, some farmers are able to use limited amounts of water if they farm on the delta, creating an issue between the junior water rights farmers
A small archipelago off the northwest coast of Britsh Columbia is known as the “islands of the people.” This island is diverse in both land and sea environment. From the 1700’s when the first ship sailed off its coast and a captain logged about the existence, slow attentiveness was given to the island. Its abundance, in both natural resources physical environment, and its allure in the concealed Haida peoples, beckoned settlers to come to the island. Settlers would spark an era of prosperity and catastrophe for the native and environmental populations.
People have been living in America for countless years, even before Europeans had discovered and populated it. These people, named Native Americans or American Indians, have a unique and singular culture and lifestyle unlike any other. Native Americans were divided into several groups or tribes. Each one tribe developed an own language, housing, clothing, and other cultural aspects. As we take a look into their society’s customs we can learn additional information about the lives of these indigenous people of the United States.
The Inuits or “Kalaallit” are the native people of Greenland, they have lived there for almost one thousand years. Today Greenland’s population is around 55,000, 85 percent of whom are Inuit (Caulfield:1997,1). The national language is Greenlandic, which is an branch of Inupik, or Eskimo language. There are three dialects according to the region in which they are spoken, such as West Greenlandic, East Greenlandic and Polar-Eskimo. Hunting, along with fishing is fundamental to their livelihood. Today, the Inuits are highly dependent on traditional methods of obtaining food through hunting and fishing.