Wednesday, June 22, 2011

First Nations, First Dogs: Canadian Aboriginal Ethnocynology

First Nations, First Dogs: Canadian Aboriginal Ethnocynology Review






First Nations, First Dogs: Canadian Aboriginal Ethnocynology Overview


Long before the arrival of Europeans on the shores of North America, the First Nations living across the expanse of what is now called Canada had not only domesticated dogs, but had several breeds, most uniquely suited to a particular environment or to fulfill a particular task. Most of these breeds have since become extinct, supplanted by dogs introduced by the European arrivals. Yet not all knowledge of these breeds has been lost with them. Legends, journals, artwork and photos remain to document these dogs and their characteristics, and they are featured here with the aim of showing the profound impact they had on First Nations' cultures and survival. Dogs were used as pack animals long before, and after, the arrival of the horse. They hunted alongside Natives and starved with them too, if the hunt was unsuccessful or game scarce. In desperate times, they were the food of last resort. Dogs also figured prominently in song, story and ceremony. Much ink has been spilled documenting the considerable loss of Native cultures since Europeans found their (misguided) way to the so-called New World. Until very recently, though, noticeably absent from much of this discussion has been the role of the domestic dog in Native North America, as well as the animal's subsequent fate. Contemporary archaeologists have, at times, documented the dog's existence (the only domesticated animal north of Mexico) and early Eruopean explorers, in many cases, dutifully noted the appearance and role of Canis familiaris amongst Native populations. However, historically in the aUSDemic literature, little other attention has been paid to the dog. Only recently, in the last deUSDe or so, have anthropologists turned their attention to the dog. Too often, though, what has been written about the dog has been of a general nature, rather than focussing on the specifics of breeds within their cultural contexts. In the midst of this literature, Canada has been largely neglected, except in the larger context of North America. This is somewhat surprising for a number of reasons. One is that the dog is universal. Wherever human beings are found, there is a dog. This is no less true in Canada. Second, the dog played a number of roles within Native society in Canada. He hunted large and small game, hauled travois and sleds, figured prominently in religious mythology, sounded the alarm at villages and camps when strangers approached, was an item of sacrifice, was the main course in several cultures, provided material clothing and was, at times, a companion. It is regrettable that many of the breeds, indeed, virtually all of the truly native breeds, have been rendered extinct through contact. The Little Woolly Dog was gone by the latter half of the 19th century, while the Hare Indian Dog had disappeared by approximately the same time. The Tahltan Bear Dog, first documented by Europeans in 1824, was extinct just 150 years later. How tragic. The Canadian Eskimo Dog, or Kimmiq (Qimmiq), seemed destined for the same fate and only barely escaped oblivion. Itr is ironic that the other breeds associated with Canada, the Newfoundland, Labrador Retriever and Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, largely of Eruopean creation, are now thriving. The fact that many of the country's indigenous breeds are no longer with us is no reason to ignore them. Their stories, and those of the people who owned them, should be told. Hopefully, First Nations, First Dogs will help fill the void.


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