Ethnoarchaeological and Ethnohistorical data on mobility furthers understandings of the reorganization (α) phase of the Denesųłiné adaptive cycle. Denesųłiné need to travel efficiently to follow the caribou herds. Three innovations have allowed Denesųłiné to do this: snowshoes, dog sleds and snowmobiles. Walking was the primary form of travel identified in oral traditions. The snowshoe was a great technological advance critical for winter travel. According to Denesųłiné, its invention was from watching how the feet of the grouse kept them on the surface of snow (Holland and Kkailther 2003:40, 87). Denesųłiné make snowshoes from birch wood staves, babiche and caribou hide. Snowshoe size and web relates to snow conditions and use. Marles (1984:84)
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Sharp (1976:26) states “The dog team is one of the most effective devices ever invented by man. For sustained work in the bush in winter, no machine in existence can match it for a balance of safety, payload, speed, reliability and cost”. Dog teams operate at extremely low temperatures (i.e. below -50oC). Few components are required. These are a birch toboggan, a harness made of caribou hide, trained dogs, and dog food (Figure 7.12). Toboggans are made of white birch. Denesųłiné feed dogs fish (Marles 1984:84, 89-90). Denesųłiné did not greatly use dog teams prior to the fur trade (Hearne 1795:208,323, MacDonnell 1760:22, Marles 1984:89). In the historical record missionaries and RCMP used dogsled. There are reports of the RCMP patrolling Wholdaia Lake in 1930 by dog team (Barr 2004:106). Denesųłiné increasingly used dog teams during the Fur Trade Period (Marles …show more content…
No more coming, only winter once in a while. No respecting caribou. It’s because the practices have changed. I don’t know why. When we just flew over, even from here to Flett Lake, if caribou there. Caribou already know. Too many vehicles pass there. Have good ears and smell. No more caribou coming that far. Young people now. If I kill caribou on a skidoo, I don’t chase them. I kill one, two, three caribou at a time to fix it up. How much I had to eat. Caribou don’t like that they tie a rope to his neck, pull it to shore. ‘Why are you doing it? Don’t pull caribou by the neck anymore’. Caribou hit with a stick they don’t like a hit with a stick. Beat caribou, they won’t come. Old days people respect that. Do not touch caribou with a paddle, when you paddle after the caribou. That is the way it was, not anymore (AD
Sharp (1976:26) states “The dog team is one of the most effective devices ever invented by man. For sustained work in the bush in winter, no machine in existence can match it for a balance of safety, payload, speed, reliability and cost”. Dog teams operate at extremely low temperatures (i.e. below -50oC). Few components are required. These are a birch toboggan, a harness made of caribou hide, trained dogs, and dog food (Figure 7.12). Toboggans are made of white birch. Denesųłiné feed dogs fish (Marles 1984:84, 89-90). Denesųłiné did not greatly use dog teams prior to the fur trade (Hearne 1795:208,323, MacDonnell 1760:22, Marles 1984:89). In the historical record missionaries and RCMP used dogsled. There are reports of the RCMP patrolling Wholdaia Lake in 1930 by dog team (Barr 2004:106). Denesųłiné increasingly used dog teams during the Fur Trade Period (Marles …show more content…
No more coming, only winter once in a while. No respecting caribou. It’s because the practices have changed. I don’t know why. When we just flew over, even from here to Flett Lake, if caribou there. Caribou already know. Too many vehicles pass there. Have good ears and smell. No more caribou coming that far. Young people now. If I kill caribou on a skidoo, I don’t chase them. I kill one, two, three caribou at a time to fix it up. How much I had to eat. Caribou don’t like that they tie a rope to his neck, pull it to shore. ‘Why are you doing it? Don’t pull caribou by the neck anymore’. Caribou hit with a stick they don’t like a hit with a stick. Beat caribou, they won’t come. Old days people respect that. Do not touch caribou with a paddle, when you paddle after the caribou. That is the way it was, not anymore (AD