> [Brad] The Inuit ate plenty of food cooked as well. Caribou were
> typically
> cooked. It was not a hassle to cook. If the weather was such that they
> could not cook, they generally could not hunt either.
[Ron] True. And Stefansson's description of their indoor life was that it
was semi-tropical.
Further, it takes less than an hour, given appropriate and adequate snow,
for two modern men to construct a snow hut in which neither cold nor wind
will interfere with lighting a fire. I have no doubt that the Inuit were a
lot better and faster at making them.
> [Brad] Famines were not "common-place". In fact, HGs generally lived in
> environments that provided a surplus of food. In most tribes, less than a
> third
> of the tribe was typically involved in hunting and gathering. Often a
> fraction
> of the hunters provided the vast majority of the meat. It is a documented
> fact that HGs had large amounts of free time which they spent singing,
> dancing, playing games, etc. The actual work of hunting, food prep,
> building
> shelter, making material, etc. was not burdensome.
[Ron] Again, Stefansson's description of the Inuit lifestyle sure bears this
out, and they typically lived in a climate that was very harsh.
> If you are genuinely interested in reviewing the literature on this topic,
> I
> recommend that you start with Man The Hunter by Richard Lee and/or Limited
> Wants, Unlimited Means by Gowdy (?).
[Ron] I haven't read these, but V. Stefansson's "Fat of the Land" is also a
good source. In fact, any of his books are well worth reading.
Best Wishes,
Ron
|