37 
FOOD 
Fundamental Aspects of the Food Problem. Travellers through the 
Athapaskan country since the earliest times have spoken of the life of the 
northern Indians as a constant struggle to procure sufficient food ; they are 
always facing the bitter odds of hunger and cold, always starved and woe- 
begone in seeming consciousness of the inevitable. The natives invariably 
pleaded want of food and ate voraciously of what was given them. There 
were few examples of foresight, no plentiful supply of fish laid up for the 
poor seasons, as among the people of the Pacific coast. Even their 
Eskimo neighbours to the north lived in comparative security, showing 
hospitality to the chance visitor, but the Athapaskan offered not even a 
word of greeting. If the newcomer were hungry he might help himself if 
fish or meat were in evidence, or wait until a meal was cooked, then to 
compete for the satisfaction of his appetite. 
Numerous cases of cannibalism have been instanced by early writers, 
but only under stress of starvation as severe as that which is known to 
have produced the same result among civilized people. A few years ago 
a family of Great Bear Lake Indians were forced to the end of their endur- 
ance while on a journey. The father dropped behind with a young 
daughter whom he sacrificed for the need of sustenance. When he rejoined 
his family immediately afterwards he found that during his absence his 
wife had killed a moose. Such an incident pathetically characterizes the 
tragedy of extreme privation. McClean (1849, II, page 248) makes the 
statement that “cannibalism is more frequently known among the Slaves 
and Rabbitskins [Hares] than any other of the kindred tribes”. This may 
be accepted as true, since these people had the least dependable food 
supply. 
When food was plentiful gormandizing took place. Hearne (1795, 
page 79), travelling with the Chipewyan Indians in the eighteenth century, 
records his displeasure at the fact that the people feasted night and day 
while the food lasted and that for fourteen days they were so indolent, 
wasting fish caught in the nets, that they were nearly in the same distress 
as before. The incident is typical of all the northeastern Athapaskans. 
The amount of food which an Indian can eat at a meal is quite unbelievable 
to one who has not witnessed such a performance, and gives rise to stories 
so exaggerated as to be amusing. 
The true picture of the Satudene’s life in relation to his food problem 
is nevertheless not one of either gormandizing or cannibalism. Un- 
doubtedly he will take advantage of plenty, which is characteristic of 
peoples whose food supply is not absolutely dependable, and certainly he 
has known the trial of hunger, but he worries little about either. Hunger 
to the civilized man has become a symbol of suffering, a physical and social 
tragedy which he will avoid at any cost, but should he be forced to experi- 
ence it occasionally, he might well be shocked to discover that it is less 
unpleasant than many trivial illnesses. The Indian knows the natural 
resources of his food supply, moves in bands from one fishing place to 
another, or seeks for game in favourable places. If asked why he does not 
prepare for an unknown future, it is hard to get more than the sly look of 
amusement for an answer, but one comes to realize an unsuspected feeling 
of security which is denied the casual traveller. There are a number of 
