Knowledge, Power, and the Individual in Subarctic Hunting Societies

Northern Athapaskan and Algonquian hunting people balance individual autonomy and the interdependence of community living. For many, knowledge and personal autonomy represent personal power. This article argues that culturally constructed knowledge both empowers and informs subarctic people. Their k...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American Anthropologist
Main Author: Ridington, Robin
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1988
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/aa.1988.90.1.02a00070
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1525%2Faa.1988.90.1.02a00070
https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1525/aa.1988.90.1.02a00070
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Summary:Northern Athapaskan and Algonquian hunting people balance individual autonomy and the interdependence of community living. For many, knowledge and personal autonomy represent personal power. This article argues that culturally constructed knowledge both empowers and informs subarctic people. Their knowledge may be viewed as a form of social theory. A survey of the literature on subarctic ethnography suggests that social scientists have informed and empowered their own theoretical understanding through an understanding of the native thoughtworld.