------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Reports from missionaries who came across paleo eskimo reported they had a
>very happy family life and did not have to work hard. Seemed in many ways
>like a nice life. read Life with the Eskimo, etc
>
> Price reported that most people on primitive, unrefined diets were healthy
>and happy, physically and mentally.
>
In that case you might want to read a book by Peter Freuchen, My life amongst
the Eskimo's (I translated the title from Dutch to English so it might be
called something similar).
Very happy family life? Yes, ususally the case. Although they apparently found
their own unique way of dealing with stress from the long dark wintermonths.
It's an insightful solution that shows how a healthy society can look at sex
as a stressrelieve  once you get over certain hangups. Still marital problems
were described as well.
Not hard work? Those missionairies either never took a good look, stayed very
shortly or told blatant lies. It was a particularly hard life, full of dangers
from the elements, the animals and stress. Just imagine yourself in a pretty
hostile climate a few months of the year. Summer might be warm-ish (even up to
a cosy 12C in June) and people could live in tents but winter was another
matter. In summer supplies would have to be hunted, gathered and stored and
winter was (in total darkness) used to travel long distances and visit friends
and relatives.
From what I read they were very healthy, both physical and mental. But it was
not an easy ride, not at all! It took long hard work and the reality of their
lives was as such that sometimes babies were left outside in the snow if food
was scarce. Also families who lost the head of the household could starve and
it was accepted in society. Elderly might walk outside in the cold to die if
they felt they became a burden on the family.
It was a damn hard world. In spite of strong social bonds people realised they
could not take care of widows and orphans easily without compromising their
own existence. Yet is was known to happen sometimes people would be taken in,
especially if they possesed skills that were useful.
They ate what would be the ideal diet for that environment. Not sure how their
diet would go in another climate. Also the writer told about how people could
eat you out of house and home. Eat practically not-stop. And when necessary,
not eat for days in a row. Something in their metabolism made it easier for
them to do so because the writer who was of Danish origine needed a more
regular stream of food. So do I, if I don't eat all day I feel really ill. Yet
the Eskimo's were used to either binge or starve.
By the way, fat women were considered very desirable. They would last longer
during famine, thus giving the family a better chance of survival. Is our
society nowadays sick or what?


Christy

===============einde bericht========================
Dit bericht is verstuurd via http://www.twigger.nl. Overal
ter wereld je bestaande mailadres bereikbaar.

Stuur goedkoop SMS via http://www.twiggersms.nl