Continuity and change : Moose Cree relationships with geese

This thesis examines the continuity that exists within an Aboriginal hunting tradition when confronted with changing social, economic, and cultural conditions. Through a study of the goose hunting practices of the Moose Cree First Nation of Moose Factory, Ontario I argue that Aboriginal hunting practices can change materially but still remain culturally important and consistent with traditional beliefs. Through an analysis of data collected through interviews with goose hunters and participant observation, I show that members of the MCFN have a 'logic of engagement' with geese premised upon an ideology of respect for geese as non-human persons. Changes that affect goose hunting are incorporated into hunting practice in ways that allow the MCFN to maintain respectful relationships with geese. This logic of engagement is learned by children through a process of apprenticeship on the land where they learn and come to embody the cosmologies and environmental philosophies of the MCFN