Subsistence

http://www.nps.gov/archeology/Cg/fa_1999/Subsist.htm

To Native Americans who continue to depend on natural resources, subsistence is more than eking out a living. While it is important to the economic well-being of their communities, the subsistence lifestyle is also perceived as the basis of cultural existence and survival. It is a communal activity rather than an individual pursuit. It unifies communities as cohesive functioning units through collective production and distribution of the harvest. Entire families participate, including elders, who assist with less physically demanding tasks. Parents, rather than educational institutions, teach the young to hunt, fish, and farm.



by Rosita Worl The Case for Subsistence: Essence of Identity, Symbol of Survival

Preservation On The Reservation [And Beyond]
Fall 1999

http://www.nps.gov/archeology/Cg/INDEX.HTM Common Ground