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THE IMPACT OF LANDSCAPE AND CLIMATE ON THE DENESULINE RELIGION Denesuline had not had any concept or belief of the afterlife, they clearly would not have imposed such a ban on these animals. If the deceased person were simply deceased, then eating the animal that consumed the dead body of the deceased, or an animal of the same species would not be a problem. Furthermore, without a strong vision of afterlife in a place as harsh as northern Canada, by creating and maintaining this taboo, the Denesuline were depriving themselves of a significant food source. Another taboo animal is the moose. Again, Hearne does not share any details, however, he notes that the buffalo and the bison are very popular animals because all of their parts can be used. He compares them to the moose, which possesses similar qualities in most other tribes, but not in the Denesuline nation. Instead, Hearne mentions that they do not resort to moose meat out of respect for the animal (174). Dogs were also a strict taboo among the Denesuline. Any consumption of the animal’s body entailed immediate punishment. So much so that it was considered unclean to eat any part of the animal’s body and it was believed that anyone who did so would be unsuccessful when hunting (Hearne 211). The influence of the environment can also be observed in other customs and traditions. Hearne’s text refers to records of Matonabbee “purchasling] an other wife” (70) and to the prevalence of polygamy among indigenous people several times. James Smith also describes this custom among the Denesuline as a brother-in-law marriage. He sees it as a survival strategy® (Smith, Economic Uncertainty 81). At the same time, other historians, such as Kerry Abel? believe that it was not as widespread a practice as Hearne’s description implies, but rather something that only successful hunters like Matonabbee could afford (20). Adaptation to climatic conditions is not solely reflected in the belief system and religious concepts of the Denesuline, but also in their biology. Hearne places the native women’s fertility below that of European women. “Providentially”, he says, they have “only” five or six children, who are born every two or three years: “Providence is very kind in causing these people to be less prolific than the inhabitants of civilized nations” (Hearne 208). What Hearne is referring to as “Providence” is actually an evolutionary anthropological phenomenon. In environments characterized by harsh living conditions and inadequate nutrition, women’s bodies have adapted to only be capable of bearing a child every two or three years. This adaptation ensures that pregnancies occur at intervals that maximize the chances of survival for both the mother 8 “The practice of the levirate and sororate among the eastern bands, now rare (although permitted by civil law if it does not involve polygyny), is also indicative of the importance of the continuing association of families and groups.” ° Adjunct professor of the department of History in Carlington University. ¢ 109 «
