Abstract
Dogs (Canis familiaris) are ubiquitous in human settlements. A range of studies suggests that uses of dogs vary with ecological context. High seasonality and reliance upon large game appears to favor investments in the uses of dogs as aids in hunting and hauling. Regional cultural traditions may also play significant roles in attitudes and behaviors towards dogs. We use ethnographic and archaeological data to assess six hypotheses concerning the roles of dogs in the traditional villages on the Mid-Fraser Canyon in British Columbia. We find that it is likely that village dogs lived in traditional Mid-Fraser villages where they may have consumed human food waste, but were also used for hunting, possibly hauling loads, as a source of products, and as a target of ritual treatments. Given their importance in numerous activities, dogs may have been wealth items for select households.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 735-753 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Human Ecology |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2021 |
Funding
Data used in this study derive in part from funding support from the National Science Foundation (grant BCS-0713013) and National Endowment for the Humanities (Grants RZ-51287–11 and RZ-230366–1). We thank Luis Pacheco-Cobos and Bruce Winterhalder for inviting us to submit this article. The Bridge River Archaeological Project is a collaborative partnership between the University of Montana and Xwísten, the Bridge River Indian Band. Susan James, Bradley Jack, and Gerald Michel played significant roles in facilitating the Housepit 54 project. The 2012-2016 field seasons at Housepit 54 were supported by two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (Grants RZ-51287-11 and RZ-230366-1). Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The 2008 and 2009 field seasons at Bridge River that included excavations of Housepits 11, 24, and 54 were funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (grant BCS-0713013). We thank the many volunteer and field school excavators of Housepit 54. We thank the Phillip Wright Zoological Museum at the University of Montana for access to comparative collections. We thank Ashley Hampton for help with Fig. . Walsh's participation was made possible through the generous research funding from the Norwegian Research Council (FRIPRO HUMSAM (project 275947). We thank Luis Pacheco-Cobos for his comments on the manuscript and help with Table . Finally, we thank Jeremy Koster and one anonymous peer reviewer for their lengthy and helpful comments. We thank Luis Pacheco-Cobos and Bruce Winterhalder for inviting us to submit this article. The Bridge River Archaeological Project is a collaborative partnership between the University of Montana and Xw?sten, the Bridge River Indian Band. Susan James, Bradley Jack, and Gerald Michel played significant roles in facilitating the Housepit 54 project. The 2012-2016 field seasons at Housepit 54 were supported by two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (Grants RZ-51287-11 and RZ-230366-1). Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The 2008 and 2009 field seasons at Bridge River that included excavations of Housepits 11, 24, and 54 were funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (grant BCS-0713013). We thank the many volunteer and field school excavators of Housepit 54. We thank the Phillip Wright Zoological Museum at the University of Montana for access to comparative collections. We thank Ashley Hampton for help with Fig.?1. Walsh's participation was made possible through the generous research funding from the Norwegian Research Council (FRIPRO HUMSAM (project 275947).?We thank Luis Pacheco-Cobos for his comments on the manuscript and help with Table 8. Finally, we thank Jeremy Koster and one anonymous peer reviewer for their lengthy and helpful comments.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| 275947 | |
| BCS-0713013 | |
| National Endowment for the Humanities | RZ-230366–1, RZ-51287–11 |
Keywords
- British Columbia
- Dogs
- Hunting
- Indigenous villages
- Mid-Fraser Canyon
- Sacrifice
