Aboriginal Economies

1
Aboriginal Economies

• Aboriginal Technologies
• Geographic Location
• Trade Economies
• World View and Economic Structures

2
Geographic Location

• The environment of Aboriginals affected the types
  of technologies and economies that were developed
• The environment determined the type of hunting
  practices, trading routes, and transportation
  options of the First Peoples

3
Aboriginal Technologies

• Aboriginal life was rich and varied
• Strong knowledge of plant science (affected
  agriculture and medicine
• 60 of worlds crops were originally developed by
  First Peoples
• Developed sophisticated stone tool technologies
  and methods of transportation ideally suited to
  their environment

4
Aboriginal Technologies - Farming

• Aboriginal cultures focused mainly on plant
  science
• Developed a variety of corn through genetic
  selection
• Developed sustainable farming techniques
• First farmers were the Haudenosaunee
• Women were the primary farmers in their society
  tending and harvesting crops
• Women received and elevated status in this
  society because of their duties

5
Aboriginal Technologies - Gathering

• Most Aboriginal groups gathered edible wild
  forest products fruits, nuts, berries, roots,
  leafy vegetables, herbs, wild rice, nd even tree
  sap (syrup!!!)

6
Aboriginal Technologies - Medicine

• Aboriginal medicines were used to heal both body
  and mind
• Aboriginal medicines would become the basis of
  western pharmacology
• Medicines developed by the Aboriginals cured some
  European diseases
• Several common medicines used to treat several
  disorders in our society came from the skill and
  knowledge of Aboriginals Aspirin is a
  significant one

7
Aboriginal Technologies - Transportation

• The canoe
• Used for trade, hunting, fishing
• Ideal for traveling in the wilderness very
  lightweight and durable
• Sleds, Travois
• Used by the Plains People
• Pulled by wolves or dogs later by horses

8
Aboriginal Technologies - Transportation

• Kayaks
• Thule People were nomadic and spent summers on
  the coast fishing and hunting beluga, walruses,
  seals and polar bears
• They created the kayak or their purposes
  stretched seal or caribou skin over bone frame
• Also created the umiak for whale hunting

9
Aboriginal Technologies - Transportation

• The Thule also developed their kind of sled
• Snowshoes are also a notable invention of the
  Thule people

10
Trade Economies

• Part of the motivation for trade among First
  Peoples was the need for good from other regions
  (supply and demand)
• T was also for establishing friendly relations
  with neighboring peoples
• Trade routes were established in the Americas
  long before Europeans arrived
• Most commonly traded items included arrowheads,
  tools and shells
• After contact with Europeans, Aboriginals began
  to trade with them and introduced them to their
  extensive trading routes

11
World View and Economic Structures

• Most Aboriginal societies practiced a lifestyle
  of sustainable development
• They only took from the environment what they
  needed to survive
• Their knowledge of natural resources allowed them
  to use resources with little waste
• European lifestyle was different and did not
  practice sustainable development, but one of land
  ownership, cultivation, and occupancy

12
Case Study 9

• Please read chapter 7 on Aboriginal Economies and
  record vocabulary terms.
• How has the physical geography of Canada
  influenced Aboriginal populations, technology,
  and food? (See map on p.89)
• How have Aboriginal peoples made considerable
  contributions as a result of plant science?
  (food/ medicine)
• What role did supply and demand play in
  establishing Aboriginal trading routes?
• Create a comparison chart outlining Aboriginal
  technologies, the First Nation the developed the
  technology, and the region these people lived.