Eskimo story‐knife tales: Reflections of change in food habits

Abstract

Modernization has led to new economic adaptations in Eskimo villages in Alaska. Changes in subsistence and dietary patterns are believed to be accompanying these adaptations. Childrens’ story‐knifetales in the Kuskokwim River Delta Region of Alaska were found to reflect economic and dietary changes taking place. In 1966,83 story‐knife tales were gathered in seven Kuskokwim River villages. The traditional food quest pattern for this region is described and those stories which deal specifically with food procurement are evaluated. Stories are divided into three categories—traditional (reflecting no modern influences), transitional (reflecting some modern influences) and modern. Traditional and transitional stories occur most frequently in villages which have been subjected to less intensive Western acculturative forces and tend to reflect the least departure from traditional subsistence pursuits. Modern stories, the most common type found in Bethel, a large trade and administrative center on the Kuskokwim R...