Knowledge, Power, and the Individual in Subarctic Hunting Societies

Abstract

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.