Brothers: The Politics of Violence among the Sekani of Northern British Columbia (Explorations in Anthropology)

A provocative analysis of a nativist movement. The creation of a huge artificial lake in western Canada led to the flooding of prime hunting and trapping territory of the Sekani Indians thus depriving them of their traditional occupations and livelihood. This caused considerable social distress resulting in a drastic increase of alcohol consumption and violence and seriously disrupting social relationships. Some Sekani made efforts to create new ties of solidarity through the adoption of Pan-Indianism however this ideology did not prove effective. The author concludes that their lack of unity stemmed from the same factionalism which characterized their personal relationships. This study of the social and political pattersn of the Sekani Indians of Finlay-Parsnip River basins in British Columbia, focusses on Fort Ware and McLeod Lake, the influence of the fur trade and modern economic changes after the flooding of Williston Lake