Six Chapters of CanadaÕs Prehistory

Six Chapters of Canada's Prehistory

History

Wright, James V.

Americas

Canadian Mus of Civilization

The Longhouse Iroquois of Southern Ontario and New York State are carriers today of an ancient tradition of political and religious oratory, one strand of which is a set of speeches, chants and songs associated with the calendrical round of ceremonies. Among these are four rituals based on a graded hierarchy of Òspirit forcesÓ -- from the animals and plants on earth to the celestial bodies in the sky, to completely ethereal beings beyond. The study, based on analysis of 17 transcribed and translated versions of these rituals from seven speakers representing four longhouses and two languages (Cayugo and Seneca), focuses on three interrelated points: the hierarchic rituals reflect the Iroquois conceptualization of the cosmos; they reveal two kinds of variation, one associated with differences in function among the four types, the other associated with stylistic differences for speakers belonging to different local traditions; and variation in performance is linked to the process of oral composition itself.

Ontario Prehistory: An Eleven-thousand-year Archaeological Outline

This is the first of three volumes on the history of the Native people of Canada as revealed by archaeological evidence. Over 12,000 years of Native history preceded the arrival of Europeans. This first volume begins with the spread of Ice Age hunters out of a land mass called Beringia that once joined Asia and North America. Most of the country was covered by glacial ice, and extinct animals such as mammoth and sabre toothed cats occupied the tundra and lichen woodlands. People of this first and subsequent migrations from Asia gradually adapted to the rapidly changing environment. Eventually, distinct cultures occupied all of Canada`s major environmental zones. Volumes two and three span the periods from 1,000 B.C. to A.D. 500 and A.D. 500 to European contact, respectively. It is hoped that these volumes will make a contribution towards a greater appreciation of Native history prior to the devastating events initiated by the European occupation of Canada.

A History of the Native People of Canada: Volume 1 (10,000-1,000 B.C.) (Mercury Series (0316-1854))

Canadian Museum of Civilization

Nomadic lifestyles dependent on herd animals developed independently on the grasslands of Eurasia and North America about 5,000 years ago. The landscapes that these peoples occupied were generally similar, but the basis of their nomadism was quite different. Eurasian steppe nomads relied on domestic sheep, goats, cattle and horses for their subsistence and on horses, cattle and, to a limited extent, camels for their travel; North American prairie nomads relied on wild bison for subsistence and on themselves and dogs for travel. In comparing the two lifestyles, this study shows that certain features, such as the use of circular portable dwellings, seasonal rhythms of movement, and minimalist material cultures, were quite similar; but other features, such as the use of metals, access to urban civilizations, the nature and scale of warfare, and overall population sizes, were very different. Yet, both kinds of nomadism dominated their respective landscapes until being supplanted by European or EuroAmerican expansionism between about 300 to 150 years ago.

A History of the Native People of Canada, Revised Edition: Volume 1: 10,000 - 1,000 B.C. (Mercury Series)

Canadian Museum of History

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wright, James V.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Wright, James V.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wright, James V.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Six Chapters of Canada's Prehistory

Ontario Prehistory: An Eleven-thousand-year Archaeological Outline

A History of the Native People of Canada: Volume 1 (10,000-1,000 B.C.) (Mercury Series (0316-1854))

A History of the Native People of Canada, Revised Edition: Volume 1: 10,000 - 1,000 B.C. (Mercury Series)