Natural disasters and interregional interactions: La Longue Durée in Northern Plains historical developments

Abstract

Some 6730 radiocarbon years ago, the Plinian eruption of Mount Mazama prompted dispersed bison hunting groups to temporarily abandon their traditional homelands and seek refuge among their distant relatives in the east. During their stay, they established new social ties and learned new technologies such as stone boiling. Returning to their homeland, they adapted this technology to extract bone grease and produce pemmican. This reliable, storable, portable, and nutritious foodstuff provided security for the Northern Plains groups and gave them a valuable trade good to exchange with their eastern neighbors. This natural disaster thus initiated a series of practices to maintain and expand their social safety net through interregional interactions with groups over a very long time. From the exchange of goods and information to the development of extensive trade centers, the bison hunters and their neighbors established an ever-expanding trade network where regional economic, social, ritual and historical practices evolved in tandem with local developments.