Aboriginal People and Their Life Style: Pre-Contact Era

                Before the Europeans came to Canada, Aboriginal people were in charge of their land. They benefited from the land in many different ways. For instance, they took advantage of the land’s natural resources and treasures for making fire and clothes, for creating hunting tools, and for food.  

                Aboriginal people knew how to adapt with their environment and to the change in seasons. According to Higgins (2009), “To better exploit a wide range of natural resources, Beothuk bands lived in different areas of the island at different times of the year”, and “[t]hey employed a seasonal round of activities to satisfy their needs and also gathered edible roots, berries, and fruit when in season as well”. Another example, they knew the edible plants and fruits from the bad ones. The article states that “They recognized which plants and berries were edible and which were poisonous” (Higgins, 2009).

                First Nations people were very skilled and knowledgeable hunters. For instance, they had always improved their ways in providing food and had developed their strategies in finding and hunting animals. They used to hunt different kinds of animals which allowed them to have a better access to food’s vitamins. As reported by Higgins (2009), “They ate seabirds, salmon, seals, caribou and other animals”. It allowed them also to generate a diversity of protein, iron, and other nutrients the body need to maintain strengths and remain healthy.

                Anishnaabek people valued  Mother Earth, viewing her as the center of their lives and personal healing.According to Wilson (2003), The “Anishinabek have with the land in the image of Mother Earth. Relationships to the land also include a spiritual element in that Anishinabek believe that the land is alive and contains spirits”(p.91). Aboriginal people had a healthy life style: they used to farm, to grow seeds and plants, and to change their stay, moving from one place to another. They had various activities that included working and connecting with the Earth. “Individuals have physical, symbolic and spiritual relationships to the land. Physically, individuals connect with the land by putting down tobacco, hunting, trapping, fishing, harvesting food and medicines, and taking part in ceremonies” (Wilson, 2003, p.91). Moreover, they did not only focus on having a strong connection with nature, but they also paid a lot of attention to the outcomes of being one with nature. “Activities such as hunting and harvesting are not only of nutritional benefit, which supports physical health, they also allow individuals to connect spiritually with Mother Earth, the Creator and spirits while being on the land” (Wilson, 2003, p.89).

Since that Aboriginal were connected to nature and were also well organized, I personally do not think that they were exposed to poverty as an issue that ruled their lives. They focused on what really matters, such as the individual’s spiritual healing, family, morals and ethics, and strengthening their relationships with each other. Therefore, I honestly think that they had a healthy lifestyle that concentrated on the well-being of people and on the unique relationship they had with Mother Earth.  

- Farah

References:

Higgins, J.(2009). Pre-Contact Beothuk Land Use Retrieved from   

            http://www.heritage.nf.ca/aboriginal/beo_land_use.html

Wilson,K. (June 2003). Therapeutic landscapes and First Nations peoples: an exploration of culture, health and place. Health and Place,9 (2). Pages (83 -93). Retrieved from

 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829202000163