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The Canadian North As A Welfare State

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Dietary modifications within a particular culture are indicative of the influences of an external culture and such transformations are frequently exemplified throughout the colonial history of North America. Indeed, the incorporation of European food goods, such as alcohol, into the diet of the Canadian Indigenous Peoples is representative of the immense impact which the first explorers had on these tribes (Lunn 1992). Furthermore, the transitional dietary modifications of the First Nations People of Canada’s North are a direct reflection of Western influence and the European attempt to assimilate these traditional societies according to Western idealism. Traditional dietary conversions correspond with the establishment and eventual …show more content…

The economic and cultural influences of the 19th century Hudson Bay Company had a significant impact on the diet and food practices of the Northern First Nations Peoples, which impact created a dependency on the government. From this dependency Northern Canada emerged as a welfare state. Prior to European contact, the First Nations exercised regular hunting and gathering practices, relying on game animals as a key meat source. These Peoples, such as the Barren Ground caribou hunters and the Ojibwa fishing villagers, were considered affluent as they had stable food resources which supplied a surplus to their needs (Coates 1989). Resource management strategies, such as hunting multiple species, had been established and were practiced by the hunters to avoid food shortages or scarcities (Coates 1989). Most tribes which based their food supply on a primary large animal – such as the barren ground caribou – would also hunt secondary prey sources, like the beaver (Coates 1989). However, modifications were made to these management strategies as the First Nations responded to the demands created by the open market of the 19th century Hudson Bay Company. The Peoples developed as commercial

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