article
Subarctic Indian trappers and band society: the economics of male mobility
Human ecology • 5 (3) • Published In 1977 • Pages: 223-259
By: Jarvenpa, Robert.
Abstract
The spatial organization of economic production in contemporary subarctic Indian society is illustrated by an analysis of geographical mobility and commercial fur trapping among the English River Chipewyan of Patuanak, Saskatchewan. Quantitative comparison reveals the positive linear relationship between selected "performance" variables (numbers of animals captured and cash income) and "locational" variables (trapping area size, distances traveled between settlements and bush camps, and distances between neighboring trappers) for a population of 76 male trappers. At present [1970s], trapping performance varies positvely with trapping area size and linear distance from the largest settlement. Variable social adaptations in the trapping work force are in part the result of complex compromises and adjustments between traditional family-camp organizations and emerging all-male partnerships. However, the relationship between size and structure of trapping teams, degree of team interaction, and economic efficiency requires further investigation. Finally, the formal analysis of productivity is reappraised in terns of community definitions of trapping success (p. 223).
- HRAF PubDate
- 2000
- Region
- North America
- Sub Region
- Arctic and Subarctic
- Document Type
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- John Beierle ; 1999
- Field Date
- 1971-1972, 1975
- Coverage Date
- ca. 1900-1970s
- Coverage Place
- Patuanak Chipewyans, Upper Churchill River area, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Notes
- Robert Jarvenpa
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 258-259)
- LCCN
- 72623826
- LCSH
- Chipewyan Indians