the women and
>children and elders survived on the food they gathered
>locally.......This was more important to the survival of
>our species than the big game the men chased down.

>(The
>survival of our species was more dependent on the
>gathering than on the hunting......at least in warm
>climates.......hunting was more vital in cold climates. )

That is an important point because most of the anthropologists and
missionnaries were men at the time of the big "clash " between our culture
and the many aboriginal culture and mostly still are. The reports of
"expeditions" were biased because seen with mens eyes. And it is amazing to
read so little informations about womens issues.
My wife , for example is writing a book about raising babies without diapers
and it is very dificult to have any informations on how native tribes were
dealing with peeing and pooing of babies.That is women issues and got
unoticed by anthroplologists
Or you read  things like this like : It was not a problem because they are
naked and crawling in the mud so they could not see the diference  when
defecating.
The fact is that almost all the cultures in the world except the occidental
culture are peeing and pooing their babies in an appropriate place from
birth and so don't need diapers.
jean-claude