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Community resistance, land use and wage labour in Paulatuk, N.W.T.

University of British Columbia

This paper discusses community resistance to the imposition of an external industrial socio-economic system and the destruction of a distinctive land-based way of life. It shows how historically Inuvialuit independence has been eroded by contact with the external economic system and the assimilationist policies of the government. In spite of these pressures, however, the Inuvialuit have struggled to retain their culture and their land-based economy. This thesis shows that hunting and trapping continue to be viable and to contribute significant income, both cash and income-in-kind to the community. This "hidden" economic reality underlies the preference of community residents for hunting over wage labour. The thesis also discusses how hunting and trapping are more compatible with community values and independence and how Paulatuk people have fought to maintain their land-based identity; "land is the critical element of the past and the cornerstone of the future." It shows how Paulatuk people have struggled to adjust the outside system's rules, in order to enjoy some of its benefits, while retaining important economic and cultural elements of the community way of life.

Text

2010-04-17

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/23778

Geography

University of British Columbia

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