This section examines food storage practices to understand further the conservation phase (K-strategy) of the Denesųłiné adaptive cycle. Out of respect for the animals caribou meat is not wasted. Denesųłiné cache caribou meat. This stores meat for future use. It also ensures that all killed caribou are used. Caches prevent scavengers from eating the meat. For highly mobile Denesųłiné, static food storage is slightly aberrant. As shown in Chapter 5, the production of mobile dry meat and pemmican was preferred. Maintaining static food stores was a secondary measure to minimize the risk of starvation. Caching food stores is essential in times of stress. Therefore, the Denesųłiné have a number of caching strategies. Caches provide a reasonable
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These stories are consistent with the oral tradition and ethnoarchaeological record at Wholdaia Lake (see Chapter 5) and participant observations at Selwyn Lake (see Chapter 4). I have observed a variety of Denesųłiné cache types, including snow and platform caches (e.g. Table 7.2). Caches were associated with Denesųłiné water crossings (see Chapters 5 and 6). Additional archaeological evidence exists that the Taltheilei tradition made caches at treeline and on the …show more content…
These include semi-subterraneous house structures and stone caches (Pickering 2012:208-227). Friesen and Stewart (2013:95) opened 20 stone caches at Thirty Mile Lake along the Kazan River in Nunavut. This site is a caribou crossing, and is associated with habitation sites. Friesen and Stewart (2013:91-92) think the caches at Thirty Mile Lake were made by Inuit based on proximity to Inuit sites and links to oral traditions. They did not find diagnostic artifacts in the caches. Instead, they found that people often cached whole animals. The caribou bones in the caches appeared fresh, as soft tissue was attached (Friesen and Stewart 2013:96). Caches evidence the intention to use all of the harvest. Traditionally, this ensured harvesters wasted nothing from the hunt. Caching is a K-state cultural practice in the adaptive cycle of the Denesųłiné. Food storage is a risk minimizing strategy to conserve caribou in a Denesųłiné adaptive
These stories are consistent with the oral tradition and ethnoarchaeological record at Wholdaia Lake (see Chapter 5) and participant observations at Selwyn Lake (see Chapter 4). I have observed a variety of Denesųłiné cache types, including snow and platform caches (e.g. Table 7.2). Caches were associated with Denesųłiné water crossings (see Chapters 5 and 6). Additional archaeological evidence exists that the Taltheilei tradition made caches at treeline and on the …show more content…
These include semi-subterraneous house structures and stone caches (Pickering 2012:208-227). Friesen and Stewart (2013:95) opened 20 stone caches at Thirty Mile Lake along the Kazan River in Nunavut. This site is a caribou crossing, and is associated with habitation sites. Friesen and Stewart (2013:91-92) think the caches at Thirty Mile Lake were made by Inuit based on proximity to Inuit sites and links to oral traditions. They did not find diagnostic artifacts in the caches. Instead, they found that people often cached whole animals. The caribou bones in the caches appeared fresh, as soft tissue was attached (Friesen and Stewart 2013:96). Caches evidence the intention to use all of the harvest. Traditionally, this ensured harvesters wasted nothing from the hunt. Caching is a K-state cultural practice in the adaptive cycle of the Denesųłiné. Food storage is a risk minimizing strategy to conserve caribou in a Denesųłiné adaptive