§ 4. Experimentum crucis: Central North America.
This paragraph will contain a survey of the economic state of the group of hunting tribes, extending across North America, from the Montagnais near the Atlantic Coast to the Apaches of Texas. Besides hunters in the proper sense this group includes the Cheyennes and Comanches, who, though slight traces of agriculture were found among them, subsisted almost entirely on the products of the chase.
1º Abundance of food. Le Jeune, speaking of the Montagnais, [[237]]says: “The savages are almost always hungry”[216]. The Chepewyans “are not remarkable for their activity as hunters, owing to the ease with which they snare deer and spear fish”[217]. Among the Kutchins a good hunter can always, except in very unfavourable circumstances, procure sufficient food[218]. The Beaver Indians, according to Mackenzie, seemed to live in a state of comparative comfort[219]. The Comanches in the summer, when the buffaloes remove to the North, often suffer from want of food[220]. Lewis and Clark tell us, that the Shoshones “suffer the extremes of want; for two-thirds of the year they are forced to live in the mountains, passing whole weeks without meat, and with nothing to eat but a few fish and roots”[221]. Grinnell, speaking of the inland Indians in general, remarks: “The life of the Indian was in some respects a hard one, for the question of food was an ever-present anxiety with him”[222].
Considering the foregoing statements, and remembering Tanner’s narrative that gives a description of a continual struggle for mere existence, we may safely conclude that, though a few of these tribes lived rather comfortably, food, among the Indians of Central North America in general, was not nearly so abundant as on the Pacific Coast.
2º. Whereas the tribes of the Pacific Coast subsist chiefly by fishing, the Indians of Central North America are, nearly all of them, hunters (See § 2 of this chapter).
3º. Fixed habitations, large groups, preserving of food. In a general description of the “vast but thinly populated interior of Northern America” we read that, with regard to the mode of living, a distinction is to be made between the thick-wood Indians and the prairie Indians. The thick-wood Indians consist of small groups. During the summer they live on waterfowl, fish, berries, etc. In the winter they often suffer from want of food. The prairie Indians during the whole year live on the buffalo. Their groups number on an average 400 people[223]. The Montagnais, in Le Jeune’s time, were wandering and few in number; their life consisted of feasting as long as they had [[238]]anything; they lived from hand to mouth and did not lay up any provision[224]. The same writer calls the Algonquins a wandering tribe[225]. The Ojibways, according to Keating, are divided into small groups, each containing a few families. They do not lay up any provision for winter use. Jones also remarks, that they are very improvident. Kohl, however, gives a long description of the fruits preserved by them[226]. The Knisteneaux often, at one feast, consume what would have been enough for several weeks[227]. The Blackfeet tribes are nomadic in their habits[228]. Ross tells us, that the Eastern Tinneh “are obliged to lead a wandering life, in order to procure food either by fishing or hunting”[229]. The Indians on the Upper Yukon are very improvident. When fish is abundant, they gorge themselves with it, instead of drying it for winter use[230]. The Kutchins live in transportable dwellings. According to Kirby they “are divided into many petty tribes”. Hardisty, however, states that they generally live in large groups[231]. Mackenzie speaks of a Beaver Indian establishment of about 300 inhabitants[232]. The Sioux live in small bands, owing to the scarcity of game[233]. The Osages are nomadic. Our informant speaks of an Osage town of 1500 inhabitants[234]. Apache tribes of 100–200 people, of whom 25–50 are warriors, are headed by a captain. They are “nomadic and roving in their habits”. “Seldom do they remain more than a week in one locality”[235]. The Comanches “usually roam in small subdivisions, varying according to caprice or the scarcity or abundance of game”. These subdivisions consist of 20–110 families. Brancroft remarks about the Comanches: “No provision is made for a time of scarcity, but when many buffalo are killed, they cut portions of them into long strips, which, after being dried in the sun, are pounded fine. This pemican they carry with them in their hunting expeditions, and when unsuccessful in the chase, a small quantity boiled in water or cooked with grease, serves for a [[239]]meal”[236]. These details do not quite agree with Bancroft’s assertion that “no provision is made”. Grinnell remarks, that the Indians are often undeservedly taxed with improvidence. “We are told in books much about the Indian’s improvidence, and it is frequently stated that however abundant food might be with him to-day, he took no thought for the needs of the morrow. Such statements are untrue and show but superficial observation. The savage does not look so far ahead as does the civilized man, but still the lessons of experience are not wholly lost on him. He remembers past hardships, and endeavours to provide against their recurrence; and these people were rather remarkable for their foresight, and for the provision which they were accustomed to make for the future”[237].
However this may be, it is evident that the supplies these wandering tribes (as they subsist on hunting, we may safely suppose that they are all of them nomadic, whether this be explicitly stated or not) were able to store for winter’s use, cannot compare with those of the tribes of the Pacific Coast.
4º. Trade and industry. The Montagnais, in Le Jeune’s time, bought maize from the Hurons for elk-skins[238]. The Algonquins, according to the same writer, used to sell furs to the French[239]. The Blackfeet tribes sold peltries which they procured in the Northern part of their country[240]. Jones calls the Kutcha Kutchin traders: “they make very little for themselves, but buy from the other Indians.” And Hardisty tells us, that they live by trading; they exchange beads, which are their circulating medium, for the peltries of other tribes[241]. The Osages, too, carried on the fur-trade in Hunter’s time[242].
We see that trade does not hold a large place in the economic life of these Indians, and that only raw products are exchanged.