Northern Nomadic Hunter-Gatherers: A Humanistic Approach (Studies in Anthropology)

Hardcover, xii + 242 pages, NOT ex-library. Limited signs of gentle wear. Book is clean, bright, untanned; unmarked text, no inscriptions, no stamps, firm binding. Issued without a dust jacket. -- A comparative study that challenges the traditional "scientific" or ecological explanations of hunter-gatherer social structures. David Riches proposes a "humanistic" or emic approach, arguing that social and cultural forms in these societies are the result of conscious human decision-making and native perceptions rather than purely environmental pressures. The book's central premise is that the social organisation of Arctic and sub-arctic peoples should be understood through the lens of the actors' own goals and strategies. Critique of Ecological Primacy: Riches critiques previous scholars for over-relying on ecological factors (like food scarcity or climate) to explain group size and movement. Decision-Making: The text emphasizes the "plausible" decision-making processes of individuals, suggesting that even in extreme environments, social forms are shaped by human agency. The study draws on data from various nomadic groups across the Arctic and sub-arctic regions: - Inuit Societies: Riches uses the Iglulik Inuit as a primary "exemplar" society to test his theories on social structure. - Indian Societies: The book also considers the social and territorial organisation of various Northern Indian (Athapaskan and Algonquian) groups. Key chapters address the determinants of group size, the nature of leadership, and the "extinct" or historical nature of these traditional societies. -- Contents: 1. Humanistic Approach & the Study of Nomadic Hunter-Gatherers [On Mythology, Cosmology & Knowledge of the Situation; Nomadic Hunter-Gatherers in the Arctic and Subarctic] 2. Question of Campsite: Production per Capita Rationale [Further Theoretical Problems; General Theoretical Framework; Subsidiary Theoretical Concerns; Realisation of a Predictability & Frequency in Animal Capture & Meat Sharing; Realisation of Cooperation & Sharing Among the Hunters in the Context of Crowding at Hunting Venues (Traditional Eskimo Caribou Hunting; Eskimo Weir Fishing; Indian Caribou (and Moose) Hunting Camps; Eskimo Powered-Boat Camps; Other Camps); Realisation of a Reliable Assistance in a Context of Potential Misfortune; Social Goals] 3. Principles of Social Organisation [Eskimo Social Organisation: Variant & Invariant Conditions; Exemplar Social Organisation: Iglulik Eskimo; Alaskan Eskimo; Copper & Netsilik Eskimos; Problems in the Analysis of Subarctic Indian Society; Indian Societies in the Eastern Canadian Subarctic; Kutchin Indians in Central Alaska] 4. Hunter-Gatherer Territorial Notions & Bilaterality [Socio-Territorial Groupings in H.-G. Society; Analysis of the Band; Locational Band: Territorial Extent & Population Size] 5. Principles of Leadership in Eskimo Society [Traditional & Contact Period] 6. Indian Family Trapping Territory [Materialism as a Necessary Condition for the Emergence of FTT; Towards an Alternative Theory; Ownership of Captured Resources (Rights of Procurement & Distribution of Game); Materialistic Values & Courtesy of Partner Distribution; FTT & Dilemma of Sharing vs Having] 7. From Traditional to Contact: Instances of Social Change in Northern Hunter-Gatherer Societies [Theory of Social Change (Understanding; Process 1: Change in Eskimo & Indian Camp Size; 2/3: General Remarks; 2: Emergence of the Indian FTT; 3: Excursion Into the Contemporary Period; 4: Emergence of the Seal-Sharing Partnership); Application of the Theory of Social Change (Breakdown of Multi-family Households; Change in Social Organisation Outside the Household; Subscription to Materialistic & New Religious Values] 8. Scarcity in the Hunter-Gatherer Economy [Evolutionary Implications; Scarcity; Methodological Reflections (Assumption of Rationality in Maximisation; Factors Cited in Explanation]; References; Index. …