War and Society A setie9 edited by 5. P. I«.oyll"

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TROUBLED TIMES VoIum
1 N

persp«ti v ". INTRODUcnO.v

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In llUf p.'Ipe!" I p..-r>l an .~Iogicol anal)'5is oIlhe and poten~ "U!'eS of ,.,.rfue on tho: Northwest Coast (Fig. 10.1) Uling . ~ J d.u. rollectcd by the BUtt.., as well as ~k""

Nl archaeological and ethnogr;lplUc dm three brOIId _ The to d.. ,. NlS and tlk. ",Imon, raids wen! planned and wan we", fought over statu!l, Pf$ige. ~"'ge, woman, ra"" materials. and oocasionaUy, food and terri lory. In order 10 understand the developmenl 01 warfa"" on Ih•• North ........ Coast, it is importanl to ""'iew the currenl dalil on tl.., prelmtory 01 wa.fare for this region. ThiIi will be follow on North...est Coast wanan', 8edentism. and ranking OJndUC'led by the author in Tebenkof and s.ginaw &)'9 on Kuiu Island in aoulheast A1a5ka_ I then pre......1 ~phic and ethnoh;,toric descriptiorl'l of North.......,.. Coo,:l wanane and a brief ~ 01 how anthropologists h,,,'e inl~..­ fI""h!d t ' - dalill.l rondude with an allempt In f'«'OnciIe diJJen,n. «'II between the l:lllnohi$toric Il'COrd of warran:. and the ard>aeolop:al dalil. 111£ PROllrrQRYOI' WARFARE ON rnf: NOJnlllVCST COASl"

[VOLlmON

or NORTHWI:S1' COAST

WAR

m

there are iufficient numoc.,.., of individu~l" t() provide useful inf'" malion (Cybulski 1990, 1992,. 19941. The seroOO is the presence ~f delensiv~ bild and fol'!ifi:imate dal.... of occupaliorw, and that lhi· acb",liK perlormed and the foods e>/Iten in lhem ....-.:re approximalCly the .. me as Ill""" in other villages (de Laguna 1960; Mllmelll98l; Moes 1989; Mudmer 1992, in preparation)_ '"'" final lype 01 ~ iff problematic and indudea the p.-.-nt1'P'iration), the time period wt' an! COIIoDt"ed wim her.P, ~tends from approxima.\lely ).
1lot Lilhk Pm"'" •• rllhe £.arl, PllCific 9000 B.C. to 1500 B.C. ~

IS no~;' al eo.idence for warfare ... confIi(1 on lhe "klr!h.... est Coast durlns the Earty Pftiod, This does not ....... n lhool warfare did not ewe. it memy indr.Ilft lWO ItIing:s. Fusl. lIonS during: thee times ....~ small and. g:roup5 ....-.,ne rnobok· II,· from madem ~phic data that !lOO"iII' violent _ OC'CUr In saW! ecaJ,e foragi,,! liOCidie (Lambert 1'Jl9-\; ' - I""". "",, It is U/\lilorIy that sucto inrreq.-.I ~.en15 would be n.. .~W'"••1

""""L.o

,I"

~y.

Dorms

the Early P.oafic, when the earliest..hell midd,n. "1'" " .. the archaeologia.l roxord for example Obdol It III ,..... 199'2). the '1r5C e\'ick>root for violent interactiom i:s found It ~I'.. l.~l I~) In ilIl aNlysi! of 77 burials from two ccmck...... ,., lho IIntlSh ColurnbLo « * t dalin5 to this time period. Cybu!>'" ....."t .....1 21% had i!Yidence of tr-aOl..... re;u1ling from ink11 ...r....."'1 n ,I I'fl(e It appe.ilr'S from Cybul!lki's de M>ddle P..me """'1 CJ.lepi ie of _facts and bmnion ""gan h., w.e • """'" typoe&l NatIt'W$ COlIst dhnogn.piIic .P!""aunn' Thee ondude .rtiIt>c sryles, fisIun& I)'StemS. viI. organi2.ation. bolh utilitarian and non-ulilitan.1n Irbfacts, and econonuc pdt: proItfwabon 01 violent ronIlic'l.ppN1'5 [CybWslo:i 1990. 1992.. 19'J.t, F1adrnMk, Anws, and SutMbnd 1990). CybuhL hal stud..... S&I burials 10 the Mt
ttCRBCIlT D. G. MASCtfNCIl

pornl!l

0111 lhat in the Slra,t of Georgia C"lt"", Iype, lhere is a wide5prNd distribulion 01. si'et with trench embonk""",t f,,~tures (1990). He .rgueo lhat lhi! is evidence for intergroup warf...... of 5uffidmt intensity, ...." 'enty, .nd frequency 10 iustify • ber of ~ h",... ~ that thee deknsi, site ~ often lltuat«l on the edpi of Iu5:ttlriWIy knIYwn tern...... bound.Ilrieo,. ~y in the Straits Sahah _ (1992:84).. Or> the northrm North_ Cout the pt OCt' 01 numerous dofn-oii,... si.... ~ that .m.-n, .... coaunon and wXlespread. I-hslOncaUy, tIee cI,",enlh forttfic.ootions -... ~,.e. Urge ~'-t. or "'""P .......... roc'" rft'lgid ory.niubOn of eorly villages, sIufb in ...>11""""",,, 11'","11"" i:I reponal SUbsislenDl' stra~ and popuLobOn .1)"1'" ntics. Each of ~ romponenb are dc!lcribed in dl'taill>do.-' In !way (14 mders long by one mete"higll), whkh pnxmbly outlin"" a former wall Or palisade. The midden remains on lhis Slle are over 15 mders d""p, indicating that the sile may have becrt used for habiti1tion. Up the ridge 60 meters fn'm the site are several eaehe dl'Pressioll!l mnfirming many e1hnographk aerounls of foodstuH,; hidden in th., forest. This site h.ls laese house--depr.-ssion village .,les (XPA-112 and XPA-1l6) wilhinlOO melers On eHher side and w,,, probably the refuge for bolh ,-illa8es Village sites are alS() important for investigating waff"re in this nogion. The very slmetu,.., of histork Northwest Coast house,; with thick plank walls and rools made lhem defensible. These lypes of houses are visible in the lale l'acifk areharolOj;ical re::ord by lhe pn,s.:nce of l"'se, r
,'t

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1It1~R to... Chari 01 the I2mponl v..nation ,n 5 ~ ~ ,n T"bo....1d an urly twentieth ""', wry salmon catclunent of 0\..". 500,000 mho ,,·,th a,"cr l,ooo.lUI silinon Ifl"wning in lhe hoy as '" whole. Hemng.. M l,ttle as 2U )....rsago, fPilwned in TebenkoI8ily in mlumes lMtiUred in gfIds ollonf. Furthet-, at RuMioon ~ W dft\se ,,'ith 0«« and _I. After studying ttw a~ d.ol,1o for ohriIf.,J, grooo'lh and llS"'. rod length. and ~ dl\..-nity. I found rh.ot I had no a.m->logical ~ "'","'-'-cr of any 1'dOUm> Sin....,. (~laschner 1m). .It wu not unlil I in,·"St'vled h.ln·~ting str.~ lot: the h", d,fFn-ent sul.> U\ ~ . 0It'Id the PNk poru.... tion ....~ !Ius peok popub.tion in Tebft\kof Bay w . . only """1 JOO peop~. ~ oIlhr ~ inhIbllVtt5' oubse. It""",, &ttategy. iI .. diffialll to """gino: that thi$: number of people rOtJId not have """;,IN uslng • rc5DUI'C'O! b;t.se thaI.. ro'_ todaoy, ,"l"kl ft.,..:1 severallt>ou5and. I'n'hi'''"k O""",;ew I" .."nltlnri,,,, the art:ha~",IOj;\ical data. tbere il n.o ""idence of w..... 1.,,- ,... ,~h,-..,. "",lent ronllic1 in tbe I'.1rly I'enod. In lhe Early and

HERBERT D. G. MitSCHNr.1l

:::~''''''='~'~'~.~!:~-=:''_--------------~

-••

EVOUInON

or NORTHWEST

COMT WAR

mosl of tho:! d"f"l\IIiw "mag,," on the "",them Northwest CooSI dalE 10 after A.D. 900, lhE boom in ,he cons'ruction of 'hese defer>ii'"e sites mIIy hav" orcu~ al IhE ,.._ time ;u; lhe peak in ron!Iln>ction of defensiv" .ileS on the northern roasl - sometime bo!twet'i"l A.D. 9OO.lId A.D, 1300. On Kuiu Island this o:scalation of warl"n" e-.·""tually led 10 • complete shift .. subs~ from OV"".walft 6shingand .... mam"",l hunting 10 ..... Imon and I......,... trial 1J\lUl\Il'lillI. nu. t;"", period WllS .Iso an apparent I"""k in population throughoul the region.

••

mE CAUSt:S or NORnlWUTCOAST WARFARE:

•

._l,_=--...,_:::":.:---:""=_=----:_~.ddlE to uk ~ transition In -..theitst At.sb (M-=tu- 19'J2), the IiIst large viI1.ll'j'M of the Gr.""" Tradition 01 the Quc! (AdIEson 1991), the f'rinrE KuP"" H30rbol" ""-' U 10 I'hasE linn' ...tion (A.dnurk. Ames, and Su.1IlftWld 1990). and the dEdine 01 Marpo/lE and tIw ..- of the C..... s.Jish cultures in the Gulf 01 e-.p.. (M..llchell 1990), to tul_ a few. EKaIaIl"l «InlbctI with the Introduction of the bow and arr w,th lhe C')nSlruction of Lorge villages and 1,>lknoo',;:1 by a I'rohfrrali"n ill l in othu" ~I ;nsI1lutions, ha'"e 1\0 In wan;,,,,_ So, although ..... .clUW hNcI·h.... lIns "uds lhlol !lOughl to loll "'ther a highranking member of tho. oIJ...'I1ding /,:n:>Up or a "Umll.-T of low_ ranking indivldllil'" (Code... 1911O: 359: 1I",>s 1921: IJ7'i. 1%1>: 1(llJ). ""'" N"rtht..., (;''''''1 S.";'h al>o p:o"h(lf"ll,~1 in ....... ,gg1t tum.eU considered it demeanin& to p"',lo.." d,rt)' work.. this the duty 0I5la"0;5 or at lust won'Oeri" (I985.29-3O).}oneIl (191~; 116) wrote thai ctUef5 and II..of hi&h rank wt"nI! the JoM lola,.., hoIJ-rw on the COtit. dKavdy monopoI• the I\ow of goods to and from theided rompelltl"" (£I., t~,,,,,,~, 1990,2(19; Davidso.. 1901). A num~. 01 l"I""Sf W"'" wert: foughl (W,'. th,-' Na"" Ki""r Car,dll·ri5h oil wItS prj",-... Ix-e;""", II WaN e>.«~k.>l for tIll' I''''/l

w.....,

.oos

HERIDlT D. G. M.1SOlNU

evoul11ON Of NOltTHWEST CCMST WAIl

The first i, tMt,n simply trying to e>., from 5~1 dala, we can only a'll.... from the l'Ihnogrilphic l1I~ture \Jut hum"". will be cornballve over anything tN.'Y ronsid". important al Ih" tim" and that .1........ inh""",t in all vlliage-l>ased societies ,,/t~ k.'i'd Itl in"-'fl'I-'1'!IOfI,'I1 vi"lence. "Tho! fact that tlw.. ... are few ' mr""" ollt.-tlwtl ,...,..rit."S in I"'" early and Middle I'acific o.l:o:It.~al

_.

H~

D.

Co MASCIDl'fJI

dll.a doet indicale thol ron/lict ""'y h....e been more symbolic than

The e:'iCalation of warfare wilh Ill0rt53. ......... K- M. (1993). T10t Ao"""""'*':D of lilt /'JorlMm Norihnt e-: TIw Nort/o e-r Prdtt>Io>y Pro1«I UonwIiont ... "''''" Rwprrt IJmo>r-. Bntl$ll Col"m.... ~ on filr.t tl>t "'rchaoolog:iC".l SU.... ~y 01 Canad.. Ott.wa, H

Ames. K. M. and M..d"..... 11. 0 G. (in proparatlol). n.. N",'1rwnt e-l, l.ondon: T1,,",- and Uudaor\. ,\""""', DJ W (IWl)- ~R$lhf of !he Prina! lWpt. (Rq>rinlN. R...... -\lmr-~ 1\I65~ COOlpl.ond, G. {I\IllS~"'" .. tMd V...... ~ly and sw",. DoI '''''''''' ... Kols\emlty~P.opr>No.I46, c.n.dlan M........ d

O~

Hil.o.-. (I_I "CuI~ ~ Dtu",,&,a""" Hi$loIy, and Health and ~ en the North....,.. u-,." In '" I'" 0{ CoM/«I; ~ RIOj' to Co>ki..,;,r. pp. 15-85. Clar1< 51""-- .....,." and ~ It

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Milroer. ed,tors. New Yotk: Wiley·L~ In::. Dovldlon. G. (IIIOI). "E>.plan.ation of,.., Indi,.., Map 0I1hi; RJ.," LtUo, Trails and Mountains from thi; Cllnbhl 10 thi; Vul«ln o. n by the Oullgle!h Tookto, td.. Morton Fried. ~. Tho "meria....

HUlmIT D. G. MitSCl1NU

"uiu

(in P"'PU"Don). '1lq>orI 0I1tw 1_ Nonh ~ Ph>jIKt.- Mmulaipl in ~ 01 the IUthor U,,"",",y 01 \••""'.......

M_.

_ _ (199l\).·'The 1'oliti 0/ Stttiement 0I0;ee on the Prehistork N",,'h_ w~ Coa;t: Cognition.. GIS, .nd Coostal Lond8 M. Thomp$Ol'\, M T, Ga~ and F,I· """MI. edt..?p. 217_226. Colgary,

Alta; Archawloglc.l Asso TlmE'l, I'h.D, ~b! 1.1..-", 01 Mon. Me'rury Scril-a 106; 121-175 I':lblod, A. (1970). TIl. COOl" I""""IS of SilIIlhMt AI""", """ NonhMt Britls!< Col......... 1Uvrl"ltd fr- tltt AMIl4I Rqcrt IJf tilt U",W Stl/ltl N.t.,.,.1 M_fot "", 1'1'. Z2S-386 by tho ~ Rq:orint Company_ ~:>.K Ilm~ no. SooI E-.-J IJfUot T1"'I'! bid-. SeMtIe: 1Jnr,~. Oily 01 W~ rr-. t'lbd., H. Obdo. .... K-.v. 'I. 'I....... K W. N-....-.. T 0ku>0,5. (1989). _ ,."". ~ ~ Sotrwy

c.on.

lust" ; •,.....

", 1'l17. 5oppooo, Hokbido,~ ~u. t'lbdo, H. Cbd........ YoJia'I, k. Olson, W Supto. M. SlUonowlci. N. Okino, S. Yoshid., K Kontl!op::.l S.. r11ty I" 1989 & 1m. Sopporo, HIzt 1.1-457. lIIoomlngtn. (Reprinled: AMS rr-. Non Compiroty For"&,,," 01 Ntxd... Ibn NortIIIerial 1I82~l-- F G Y~ ed. HlSlonatl Quottmy. 'fl):~15.

o..p

(2US9-2115.I))V6-287. ... ,.burg, and W,~. Mill«. J- (1990). "TIlI.mook." In fiJlmlbook 0/ NoCl Soulhward Movemenl of the KwokiuU." Washington Stat, Cqi/c-

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