Abstract
Building on Gwich’in elaborations on the Biblical End of the World, and incorporating vernacular prophecies of such indeterminate ending, the frequently expressed statement ‘hard times are coming’ – by Gwich’in (Elders) in Northern Canada – sheds different insights into human-animal relations. Thus to counteract these apocalyptic hardships, the Gwich’in have emphasized their reliance on "working dogs". The argument follows that whilst snowmobiles depend on monetary funds for gas and mechanical parts, the "working dogs", and subsequently Gwich’in, can live off the land without such dependency on
the broader economic system. In this paper I exemplify how the revitalization of the use of "working dogs" by a number of Gwich’in can be understood as a possibility made by Gwich’in with dogs to break away from the uncertainties and
indeterminate collapse of the capitalist system.
the broader economic system. In this paper I exemplify how the revitalization of the use of "working dogs" by a number of Gwich’in can be understood as a possibility made by Gwich’in with dogs to break away from the uncertainties and
indeterminate collapse of the capitalist system.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 1 |
Publication status | Published - May 2014 |
Event | Eighth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS VIII) - Prince George, Canada Duration: 22 May 2015 → 26 May 2015 |
Conference
Conference | Eighth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS VIII) |
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Country/Territory | Canada |
City | Prince George |
Period | 22/05/15 → 26/05/15 |