Chuathbaluk and Sleetmute 'And Is Based on Fieldwork That Took Place Between June 1982 and June 1983
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HUMAN ECOLOGY OF TWO CENTRAL KUSKOKWIM COMMUNITIES: CHUATHBALUKAND SLEETMUTE by S*usan Charnley Technical Paper Number 81 Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Subsistence Juneau, Alaska December 1984 ABSTRACT This report describes hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering in Chuathbaluk and Sleetmute 'and is based on fieldwork that took place between June 1982 and June 1983. Chuathbaluk and Sleetmute are located in the central Kuskokwim River area, which has been defined as a region in relatively recent times based on introduced sociopolitical criteria. The central Kuskokwim region is an area of cultural and linguistic interface between the Yup'ik-speaking Eskimos of the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta and the Athabaskans of Interior Alaska. Chuathbaluk is primarily composed of Yup'ik Eskimos while Sleetmute contains individuals of primarily Yup'ik and Athabaskan descent. Current patterns of resource harvest observed in Chuathbaluk and Sleetmute' have probably been influenced by several cultural' traditions over time, including the Yup'ik Eskimos from the lower Kuskokwim River (Kusquqvagmiut) and lower Yukon River (Kwikpagmiut), the Ingalik Athabaskans from the middle Yukon River, the Dena'ina Athabaskans of the Stony River drain- age, and the Upper Kuskokwim-speaking Athabaskans of the Upper Kusko- kwim River drainage. An annual round of resource harvest activities may be identified in Chuathbaluk and Sleetmute. Both communities have access to basi- cally the same resource base composed of salmon and non-salmon fish and terrestrial mammal species and implement harvest methods and pro- cessing techniques that are similar. The distribution and exchange 0.f resources along kinship lines occurs in both communities. Community residents have settlement patterns that revolve around resource harvest . activities and include the use of fish camps, berry camps, hunting camps, and trapping camps. A system based on traditional land use and occupancy relating to resource harvest activities exists in each com- muni ty . Both communities integrate the cash and subsistence sectors of the local economy. Chuathbaluk and Sleetmute are viable, dynamic subsis tence-based socioeconomic sys terns. Chuathbaluk and Sleetmute exhibit differences in resource orienta- tion and settlement patterning that may be attributed to cultural background, ecological differences in resource accessibility, and demo- graphic differences in the composition of production units for harvest- ing and processing resources. Chua thbaluk residents target on salmon and moose. ,Many households disperse to fish and berry camps in summer. The population concentrates . in the winter village through- out the rest of the year. Sleetmute residents target on salmon, moose, and f urbearers. Salmon are harvested in smaller quantities and moose * are harvested in greater numbers in Sleetmute as compared with Chuath- ba luk. Many Sleetmute residents disperse to trapping camps in winter. The population concentrates in or near the winter village during summer. Cultural orientations may also contribute to differences in resource selection and settlement patterning but are not explored here. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract . ...*.........................................*.. Table of Contents .~~.~....~..~..~.........~~....~.......~~.~~.~.......~.. ii List of Figures.........................................................vii List of Tables . ..*.................................. Xii Acknowledgements ....................................................... iii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION................................................. 1 Objectives ................................................ 5 The Regional Setting ...................................... 5 Methodology ............................................... 8 CHAPTER 2. HISTORIC SETTLEMENT OF THE CENTRAL KUSKOKWIMRIVER REGION...16 Historic Cultural Distributions .......................... 16 Russian and Euroamerican Penetration......................1 9 Population Trends ........................................ 27 . CHAPTER 3. THE WINTER VILLAGES ......................................... 30 Chuathbaluk .............................................. 30 Historic Development of Chuathbaluk....................3 0 Contemporary Chuathbaluk ............................... 32 Sleetmute ................................................ 42 Historic Development of Sleetmute...................... 2 Contemporary Sleetmute ................................. 45 Community Comparisons .................................... 53 CHAPTER 4. SETTLEMENT PATTERNS AND THE ANNUAL ROUND....................56 Historic Settlement Patterns and Annual Round............5 6 Contemporary Settlement Patterns.........................6 2 The Annual Round of Resource Harvest, June 1982'- May 1983 .................................... 68 Resource Use Areas ....................................... 71 Transportation Methods ................................... 72 ii CHAPTER 5. SALMON FISHING . 78 Introduction ............................................. 78 Fishing Technologies ..................................... 81 Historic Fishing Technologies .......................... 81 Contemporary Fishing Technologies......................8 3 Summer Settlement Patterns -- The Fish Camp (Neqlivik; Neqsurcurvik) ................................. 88 Historic Use ........................................... 88 Contemporary Use ....................................... 91 Fish Camp Sites ........................................ 92 Fish Camp Facilities ................................... 94 Salmon Processing ........................................ 96 Dried and Smoked Salmon ................................ 96 Other Salmon Products ................................. 105 Production Units ...................................... 107 Case Studies of Salmon Fishing Strategies...;.........10 8 Distribution and Exchange ............................... 119 Salmon Harvest Estimates, 1982 .......................... 124 1970-1982 ............................................. 128 Participation in Salmon Fishing.........................13 5 The Commercial Salmon Fishery .. ..a..........*>......* ... 139 CHAPTER 6. NON-SALMONID FISH SPECIES FISHING . 143 Historical Harvest Methods .............................. 144 Species Accounts ........................................ 146 Arctic Lamprey ........................................ 146 Sheefish .............................................. 148 Least Cisco ........................................... 149 Round Whitefish ....................................... 150 Broad Whitefish ....................................... 150 Humpback Whitefish .................................... 151 Rainbow Trout ......................................... 152 Arctic Char ........................................... 153 Arctic Grayling ....................................... 153 Boreal Smelt .......................................... 154 Alaska Blackfish ...................................... 155 Northern Pike ......................................... 156 Longnose Sucker ....................................... 157 Burbot ................................................ 157 .Harvest Areas ........................................... 162 iii CHAPTER 7. MOOSE HUNTING. 179 Hunting Methods ......................................... 179 Seasonal Techniques ................................... 179 Production Units ...................................... 188 Processing and Use of Moose ............................. 190 Preservation .......................................... 190 Moose Products ........................................ 192 Distribution .......................................... 193 The 1982-83 Moose Hunting Seasons.......................20 3 Harvest Results ....................................... 203 Importance of Moose ................................... 211 Moose Hunting Areas ...................................... 213 CHAPTER 8. CARIBOU AND BEAR HUNTING. 220 Caribou Hunting ......................................... 220 Population Status ..................................... 221 Harvest Methods ....................................... 222 Hunting Areas ......................................... 225 Brown Bear Hunting ...................................... 230 Black Bear Hunting ...................................... 232 Hunting Areas ......................................... 235 CHAPTER 9. SMALL GAME AND WATERFOWLHUNTING . 241 Small Game Hunting ...................................... 242 Snowshoe Hare ......................................... 242 Porcupine ............................................. 244 Great Horned Owl ...................................... 244 Spruce Grouse ......................................... 244 Ruffed Grouse ......................................... 245 Willow Ptarmigan ...................................... 245 Waterfowl Hunting ....................................... 246 Harvest Areas ......................................... 249 . iV CHAPTER 10. TRAPPING . 254 Introduction ............................................ 254 Trapping Patterns, Chuathbaluk .......................... 259 Trapping Patterns, Sleetmute ............................ 263 Furbearers ............................................... 268 Beaver ................................................ 268 Muskrat ............................................... 274 Marten ................................................ 277 Mink .................................................. 28i Land Otter ...........................................