Learning about the land: Tetlit Gwich'in perspectives on sustainable resource use.

摘要

This thesis describes aspects of Tetlit Gwich'in perspectives on sustaining their land, as they were communicated within the context of a sustainable forest management project. Past and present uses of forest resources, i.e., wood for steamship fuel, construction and smokehouses, as well as berry patches, are examined within the context of the social relations in which they are embedded, or what is locally referred to as “living on the land,” and a selection of Gwich'in women's contributions to the continuation of Gwich'in culture are included. The concept of sustainability as it is usually invoked with regards to management and resource use is examined in relation to certain aspects of the Gwich'in relationship with the land, and in relation to the ways in which Gwich'in perspectives were made accessible to non-Gwich'in researchers. Fieldwork was conducted in Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories during the summer months of 1999 and 2000.