A Theory Of Northern Athapaskan Prehistory [Hardcover]

?This book explores the conceptual basis for the events and processes in the prehistory of the Athapaskans, one of the most wide-spread peoples in western North America. The author bases his research on the premise that social structure is not passively dependent on the technological and economic bases of society, and argues that, ultimately, kinshPreface -- Introduction -- Cultural Diversity in Northwestern North America -- Beaver and Slavey Principles of Group Formation -- Early Fur Trade Impacts on the Beaver and Slavey -- Beaver and Slavey Social Systems in the Early Fur Trade -- Northern Athapaskan Socioeconomic Variability -- Toward Northern Athapaskan Prehistory -- Reflections on a Theoretical PrehistoryThis book explores the conceptual basis for the events and processes in the prehistory of the Athapaskans, one of the most wide-spread peoples in western North America.John W. (Jack) Ives was born in Saskatchewan and received his B.A. from the University of Saskatchewan. He went on to receive his M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Alberta and his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan. Ives has been the Director of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta since 1986, where he was previously Acting Head of Research (1985-86) and Boreal Forest Archaeologist (1979-1985). He is also an Adjunct Professor with the Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta. Dr. Ives is currently involved in two Archaeological Survey of Alberta projects. The first is the Heilongjiang-Alberta Archaeo-logical Research Project, in which Alberta and Chinese scientists are exploring the possibility that northeastern China was among the sources from which New World Natives eventually emerged some 20,000 years ago. The second is the First Albertans Project, designed to investigate how prehistoric Natives first came to Alberta more than 11,000 years ago, possibly through an ice-free corridor along the foothills and eastern flanks of the Rocky Mountains. Ives has plÓ1