THE HUNTING AND GATHERING ECONOMICS OF THE NATIVE AMERICA INDIA
INTRODUCTION
The importance of hunting and gathering in pre Columbus cannot be over emphasis. It formed the centre of this early civilization ,which depended heavily on nature. Hunting and gathering food as a means of survival.
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF HUNTING AND GATHERING IN AMERICA
America Indians are made up of distinct groups, settled in bands, who have formed themselves into many nations. There were the Incas, Mayas etc. The native Americans spoke more than 300 languages. History has it that they were hunters and gatherer whose histories were preserved by oral tradition and art works like temples and aqueduct. These structures were as big as the pyramid of Egypt, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Scholars disagree on the exert population strength of the Indians. However, recent population estimates do suggest that they were about ten million in South American in the 15th century while in the north they were at least two million. Accordingly, it was stated that they wonder into the centre of America, and even they migrated up to the southern tip of the Americans.
Among the Indians hunting and gathering was a major occupation. It was the means by which people earned their living. The habitant inhabited by the Native Americans was made up of thick forest vegetation with fresh fruits and rivers which encouraged their above occupation. This place was suitable to the India occupation, that they claim that they did not migrate there but were created in there. Hunting was the task of men, hunters were extremely skilled in identifying track and anticipating the movement of games. Hunting as carried out by the India people was a specialized task also found in similar geographical terrain in Africa. Among the Urhobo, Isoko bushes were demarcated and besieged. The Urhobo people were a group who over the years had established themselves in little settlements. Like the Indians they lived in a dense forest region contained with trees with fruits and various species of animals. Hunters assembled either in arc formation or in a straight line. They hit the ground to make the animal escape into the trap that has been set. Similarly, the Native Americans are availed with numerous technique of hunting. Many Americans, who were also big hunters, migrated very far into the continent in search for food. The technique used for hunting animals includes driving the animals into ambush. Animals were also hunted by driving them into deep trenches, in some cases fire was used to control or fence animals from running away. Communities such as Chippewa and Creek could boast of hunters who could stalk a beer, rabbit and other games into traps or snares. In any economics either advance, primitive or that which is emerging, people work with various tools. These tools were to suit the need and reflected the given society. Natives America hunting tools varies differently among the 300 different groups. Generally, they made use of tools like arrows, spears, harpoons, fishhooks and baoguns. Nichole, an editor in the Washington discussed on the use of eagle for hunting in North Western Mongolia. However, the use of animals to hunt is known to other part of the world. In Africa Dogs were used for hunting. The dogs were trained to perform this task ; as the process involves the pouring of gin into the eyes of the dog. This rear training is done to help dogs snip out hidden animals from where they might be hiding. Among the Indian buffaloes are very important. They were used to despise seeds of rice etc.
Indians collected food from the wild. Gathering as a means of wringing out a living was common to the Indians and other groups. In pre medieval Europe and pre colonial Africa, some communities were still under the economic stage of gathering and hunting. However, among America of pre Columbus age hunting and gathering was the sole occupation. People picked blue berries from forest and surrounding bushes. Just like hunting, gathering required tools as the task of gathering became complicated. The use of some of the tools required training. Training was done along the line of societal cooperation as was taken care of by the environment and the spectre of starvation. The Indian people taught the processes of climbing trees and taping trees for edible liquids to their children. The tools used for this purpose are numerous; they are also the same as the ones found in West Africa.
The Indians developed many political states, these states were evolved for the economic base which is hunting and gathering. Some remained small while many evolved into powerful nations. These states built cities, developed religions and infrastructure that the first European marvelled at. As they did to art works in Africa, Indian arts were supposed to have come from lost European tribes.
CONCLUSION
Hunting and gathering was a very important activity in pre-Columbus America. With hunting and gathering Indians were able to wring out a living. However, they carried out these activities in very small grouping or commune some of which became powerful nations. They used their suplux to build temples, empires, just like civilization in European.