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The emphasis was on living in balance with nature rather than on accumulating economic surplus or wealth. This generally meant meeting the food needs of the group and sustaining the ability of the land and sea to continue to provide for its inhabitants well into the future. The abundance of natural resources varied considerable from one region to another. Where a surplus of a particular product was generated, it provided a basis for trade within and among Aboriginal nations. Agricultural producers living in what are now southern Ontario and the St. Lawrence Valley supplied corn and other products to those without an agricultural base, exchanging them for fish or furs. Extensive commercial networks also existed in areas such as the northwest coast, where foodstuffs were transported between the coast and the interior.8
Information provided with permission from the Ontario Metis Aboriginal Association's website. |
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