essay

Dry meat and gender: the absence of Chipewyan ritual for the regulation of hunting and animal numbers

hunters and gatherers : 2. property, power, and ideologyOxford [Oxfordshire] • Published In 1991 • Pages: 183-191

By: Sharp, Henry S..

Abstract
In this article, Sharp takes issue with the conventional depiction of hunter-gatherers in which Chipewyans are singled out for their lack of ritual, i.e., hunting magic. Sharp immediately discounts as an explanation the legacy of Catholicism and the possible substitution of Catholic ritual for traditional practices. Rather he discusses Chipewyan ideas of causality, which are wrapped up in the notion of a common supernatural realm of man and beast. According to Sharp, the Chipewyan hunters have an intimate connection to animals on the supernatural level, one that does not entail any mediating ritualistic processes in order to achieve desired ends. This connection, or causality, in which an animal gives itself to the hunter is achieved through mental processes of knowing, understanding, and dreaming. As food processors, women have an outsider's relationship to this supernatural realm. The sharing of food in this context is mediated by gender identity itself and not by any ideas of ritualized exchange.
Subjects
Hunting and trapping
Division of labor by gender
Gender status
General character of religion
Ritual
culture
Chipewyans
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
North America
Sub Region
Arctic and Subarctic
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard ; 1999
Field Date
Not Specified
Coverage Date
1770-1980
Coverage Place
north-central Canada
Notes
Henry S. Sharp
Includes bibliographical references (p. )
LCCN
87021216
LCSH
Chipewyan Indians