hunter-gathers of the NW

[kbs2244]

http://salem-news.com/articles/november ... atives.php

From today news page.
I can appreciate her point.
But…
I would argue that fisherman are “hunter gathers.”

In the modern world they may be the last of the breed.
Even with aircraft doing advance scouting they are still starting out into the unknown with no guarantee of success.

Unless you have your “catch” in an all encompassing net, the equivalent of a field, you have no sure thing.
If you do, you are a farmer. A “fish farmer.”
But if you don’t you are a “hunter gather.”

Just on water, not land.

[Digit]

I would agree kb, and part of the fishing ethos, whether sport or need, is the thrill of the hunt, something our do gooders try to deny in modern man. Probably whilst eating their fish and chips. (French Fries to you BTW.)

Roy.

[Minimalist]

I think it is an artificial distinction as well, kb.

If they hunt fish and gather shellfish what's the difference in the grand scope of things.

[JGF]

Availability of concentrated aquatic resources has been linked to increased sedentism in various parts of the world -- Pacific Northwest, African lake cultures, Japan and the Amazon. Very frequently, increased sedentism is linked with hierarchical social structure and greater societal complexity -- the traditional model of hunter-gatherers is that they are small groups, mobile, egalitarian, etc. so fishing cultures can be quite different from H-G's in social organization & lifeways. An archeologist named Sutton even coined the term "Aqualithic" to differentiate the African fishing cultures from their H-G counterparts (it didn't really stick). Interesting research going on now relating availability of aquatic resources in the Amazon to the beginnings of manioc agriculture.

JGF

[Barracuda]

In the old days, a lot of people would refer to spearfishing as "fish hunting"

[kbs2244]

"Spear fishing"

Boy I haven't heard of that for a long time!
Do they still do it?
Rubber band and CO2 powered?

Every current SCUBA diver I know only carries a cammera.

[Minimalist]

I'd rather have a spear gun if a Great White shows up.