The Cree Hunters Of Mistassini

U

Ultraman

Joined
Oct 28, 2005
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Interesting archival video of three Cree families living in the wilderness of Quebec in the 1970s:

http://www.skillsforwildlives.com/2010/10/the-cree-hunters-of-mistassini/

Interesting to me is how responsible they are at harvesting game - they know enough to leave a hunting ground alone to allow time for game to recover. Nowadays, the environmentalists call this sustainability, but it' s common sense. The giant blue fin tuna is endangered because of overfishing (I believe mostly by the Japanese). Common sense dictates that if they had a moratorium on fishing this species, they might recover enough to get off the endangered list. I wouldn't mind not eating tuna sushi if it gives a chance for this unique species to recover!

Off my soapbox - this was not meant to preach. Apologies if this video has been posted before.
EDIT: video has been posted before by William.M.
 
I have watched this about 5 times.I love the way that lady is skinning that beaver .Looks like she id chopping the hide off.

Someone posted this link on another forum and I saw it the first time about a year or so ago. But thanks for posting it here.
 
Hawkeye5 said:
I have watched this about 5 times.I love the way that lady is skinning that beaver .Looks like she id chopping the hide off.

Someone posted this link on another forum and I saw it the first time about a year or so ago. But thanks for posting it here.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you liked it!
 
I go Walleye and Pike fishing each year in this area. One of the Cree guy living near where we stay is a Blacksmith, with two brothers (Alex, Jimmy, don't remember the third). They must be relatives to the Blacksmith in the video! I will ask Jimmy next year.

Here I am, with my dinner that night:

TastyWalleye.jpg
 
Nice eater.:thumbup: Yes SOME native groups in SOME areas may try to practice traditional\sustainable lifestyles. But I'd wager that they are diminishing rapidly. My wife (full blood Cree, teacher, two university degrees and currently taking more classes) and I (Caucasian, one degree, intensive addictions counseling training\experience) have lived on different reserves, north and south. We have seen the good and bad of remote communities. We have seen\experienced heart breaking bullshit on reserves and are under NO illusions of remote northern Utopian lifestyles. I have seen MANY times half floating, half sunk nets still killing fish for months\years. No one giving a damn about them. Huge random piles of garbage in the bush. Busted chain saw and snowmobile parts (or entire stripped machines) laying in the crystal clear water. Ten year old kids huffing gas. On and on. Yes there are some good people out there that care, but get over any Utopian delusions about northern reality. It isn't really what you may think.
 
upnorth said:
Nice eater.:thumbup: Yes SOME native groups in SOME areas may try to practice traditional\sustainable lifestyles. But I'd wager that they are diminishing rapidly. My wife (full blood Cree, teacher, two university degrees and currently taking more classes) and I (Caucasian, one degree, intensive addictions counseling training\experience) have lived on different reserves, north and south. We have seen the good and bad of remote communities. We have seen\experienced heart breaking bullshit on reserves and are under NO illusions of remote northern Utopian lifestyles. I have seen MANY times half floating, half sunk nets still killing fish for months\years. No one giving a damn about them. Huge random piles of garbage in the bush. Busted chain saw and snowmobile parts (or entire stripped machines) laying in the crystal clear water. Ten year old kids huffing gas. On and on. Yes there are some good people out there that care, but get over any Utopian delusions about northern reality. It isn't really what you may think.
Click to expand...

+3. 1 from a youth in Alaska, and 2 more from an adulthood around multiple Pacific Northwest tribes/reservations, both Coastal and Inland.
no romance from any of those. all pretty sad, really. wish i had a different, brighter perspective to offer. but i don't.
 
gentemanndvm said:
+3. 1 from a youth in Alaska, and 2 more from an adulthood around multiple Pacific Northwest tribes/reservations, both Coastal and Inland.
no romance from any of those. all pretty sad, really. wish i had a different, brighter perspective to offer. but i don't.
Click to expand...

Thanks you guys for the insight. That's real life, I guess.
 
sorry i was part of a sidetrack on your post, my bad.
it's a good vid, and also good insights on your part re: us, and if only we could be responsible stewards of the only planet we've got instead of wasting it away.

let's all teach our kids to do better.
 
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