Changing Ways, Constant Companions: The Ancient DNA and Local Knowledge of Tla'amin Dogs
Until the mid-nineteenth century, First Nations peoples in British Columbia valued dogs as hunting aides, draught animals, sources of fibre and food, protectors, and companions. Unfortunately, the details of these past human-dog relationships are not well known. To understand the importance of these...
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ftsimonfu:oai:summit.sfu.ca:15584 2023-05-15T16:16:41+02:00 Changing Ways, Constant Companions: The Ancient DNA and Local Knowledge of Tla'amin Dogs Zimmerman, Kasia Anne 2014-06-26 http://summit.sfu.ca/item/15584 unknown etd8452 http://summit.sfu.ca/item/15584 Thesis 2014 ftsimonfu 2022-04-07T18:40:01Z Until the mid-nineteenth century, First Nations peoples in British Columbia valued dogs as hunting aides, draught animals, sources of fibre and food, protectors, and companions. Unfortunately, the details of these past human-dog relationships are not well known. To understand the importance of these dogs in general, and particularly the dogs once kept by Tla’amin people, this study integrates ancient DNA analyses with local knowledge. Interviews with Tla’amin community members and the presence of archaeological dog burials clearly show that dogs were an important part of ancestral Tla’amin society. Additionally, local knowledge and ethnographic evidence indicates that breeding and training practices served to both reinforce the bond between dogs and humans, and to improve the hunting ability of dogs. Ancient DNA analysis of 17 skeletal dog remains (3500-430 ya) from six archaeological sites in Tla’amin traditional territory has revealed a minor mtDNA haplogroup that was only found in Tla’amin dogs, however, the majority of mtDNA haplotypes are shared with many other archaeological dogs in BC. These results are consistent with local knowledge and ethnographic evidence regarding native North American dogs, and are reflective of trade networks and kin relations in BC, which may have facilitated the distribution of these dog haplotypes. This study highlights the importance of integrating archaeological data with local knowledge and cultural context to achieve a more complete understanding of the relationship between humans and their biological worlds. Thesis First Nations Summit - SFU Research Repository (Simon Fraser University) |
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Summit - SFU Research Repository (Simon Fraser University) |
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Until the mid-nineteenth century, First Nations peoples in British Columbia valued dogs as hunting aides, draught animals, sources of fibre and food, protectors, and companions. Unfortunately, the details of these past human-dog relationships are not well known. To understand the importance of these dogs in general, and particularly the dogs once kept by Tla’amin people, this study integrates ancient DNA analyses with local knowledge. Interviews with Tla’amin community members and the presence of archaeological dog burials clearly show that dogs were an important part of ancestral Tla’amin society. Additionally, local knowledge and ethnographic evidence indicates that breeding and training practices served to both reinforce the bond between dogs and humans, and to improve the hunting ability of dogs. Ancient DNA analysis of 17 skeletal dog remains (3500-430 ya) from six archaeological sites in Tla’amin traditional territory has revealed a minor mtDNA haplogroup that was only found in Tla’amin dogs, however, the majority of mtDNA haplotypes are shared with many other archaeological dogs in BC. These results are consistent with local knowledge and ethnographic evidence regarding native North American dogs, and are reflective of trade networks and kin relations in BC, which may have facilitated the distribution of these dog haplotypes. This study highlights the importance of integrating archaeological data with local knowledge and cultural context to achieve a more complete understanding of the relationship between humans and their biological worlds. |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Zimmerman, Kasia Anne |
spellingShingle |
Zimmerman, Kasia Anne Changing Ways, Constant Companions: The Ancient DNA and Local Knowledge of Tla'amin Dogs |
author_facet |
Zimmerman, Kasia Anne |
author_sort |
Zimmerman, Kasia Anne |
title |
Changing Ways, Constant Companions: The Ancient DNA and Local Knowledge of Tla'amin Dogs |
title_short |
Changing Ways, Constant Companions: The Ancient DNA and Local Knowledge of Tla'amin Dogs |
title_full |
Changing Ways, Constant Companions: The Ancient DNA and Local Knowledge of Tla'amin Dogs |
title_fullStr |
Changing Ways, Constant Companions: The Ancient DNA and Local Knowledge of Tla'amin Dogs |
title_full_unstemmed |
Changing Ways, Constant Companions: The Ancient DNA and Local Knowledge of Tla'amin Dogs |
title_sort |
changing ways, constant companions: the ancient dna and local knowledge of tla'amin dogs |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://summit.sfu.ca/item/15584 |
genre |
First Nations |
genre_facet |
First Nations |
op_relation |
etd8452 http://summit.sfu.ca/item/15584 |
_version_ |
1766002543502032896 |