Chapter 2.1
2.1 - Goose
Connor McCulloch , University of Guelph, Canada
Suggested citation for this chapter.
McCulloch,C. (2022) Birds. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/
General Background Information
Goose was an essential source of food for many Canadian Indigenous groups and was a traditional food that had a significant impact towards their way of life (Belinsky, 1998). This traditional food source was used by some tribes in more depth than others, however most tribes had general involvement in the hunting of geese whether the species simply be used as an add on to their main diet or as an essential food source. There were different types of geese that were harvested by Indigenous groups such as snow geese, brant geese, emperor geese, and the most utilized Canada geese (Humphries and Kuhnlein, 2017). Canada goose is a Canadian migratory bird that was utilized in great depth by the James Bay Cree and the overall Cree population (Belinsky and Kuhnlein 1999). Brant goeee, which are a smaller subspecies of geese, were not as widely consumed as Canada geese or as Snow geese. However, the James Bay Cree and other Cree tribes were known to occasionally consume brant goose when population levels were high (Elberg et al., 1975). Snow Goose on the other hand was more widely consumed, not quite as popular as Canada goose but still contributed significantly to Indigenous diet.
Snow Geese were consumed by many cultures and most notably hunted by the Cree (Berkes and Farkas, 1978). There were only certain time frames throughout the year in which goose could be hunted. In fact, Canada geese are seasonal and have spring and fall migrations, which means availability and timing was very crucial regarding harvesting (Belinsky and Kuhnlein, 1999). This means that only a select few months would be optimal for Geese hunting throughout the year. April and September were known as the most productive hunting months for goose according to the Cree This would be when the geese populations were at their highest (Belinsky, 1998). The significance of these months is shown through the Cree term used for April and September, which is “Nishchibiisim”, and this translates to “goose month” (Belinsky, 1998). Geese were very important and highly valued due to their overall size and amount of people they could sustain as well. Canada Geese in particular are a fairly large species of goose and provided a significant amount of meat for indigenous families. They can range from 75-110 centimeters in length and males on average can reach approximately 18 pounds (Ogilvie and Young, 2004). Canada geese were the largest species of goose hunted by the Indigenous people of Canada, but other geese still produced nutritional benefit for these communities. Snow geese are considerably smaller than Canada geese in size. Snow geese on average are about 70 centimeters in length and have an average weight of 6.5 pounds (Logue, 2002).
In result, more snow geese would be needed to sustain Indigenous families in comparison to Canada geese, which is part of the reason why Canada geese were hunted more extensively overall.
Nutritional Value
Goose is a highly nutritional and calorie dense traditional food, and provided many essential nutrients for the Indigenous population. Canada goose in particular has prominent levels of macronutrients such as protein and fat (Belinsky, 1998). These two macronutrients are very important in a healthy diet and would provide necessary energy for Indigenous people’s active lifestyles. Although Goose contains relatively high levels of fat, these fats within geese are considered healthy fats and would contribute important calories into their diet . Due to this, goose is known to be moderately healthy since it is lower in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat (Belinsky, 1998). In addition, Goose is a very superior protein source, as it was shown to have significantly higher protein levels when compared to a similar size sample of moose or fish (Spiegelaar et al., 2019). Goose is also rich in minerals including Iron, zinc, copper, and calcium (Belinsky and Kuhnlein, 1999). Since Indigenous people usually do not have access to valuable vitamins and minerals in tablet form like the general population, attaining these nutrients from their food would be essential. Calorie intake would be very important for Indigenous people, who can be more prone to food insecurity. Goose is not only nutritional, but it contains a relatively high amount of calories as well. In a 100-gram sample of desirable goose meat the average fat content was 18 grams, and the protein content was approximately 28 grams, which in combination with other nutrients equates to roughly 300 calories (Belinsky, 1998). Considering that the average edible portion for goose is at least 5 pounds, there would be a large amount of calories available per goose which could sustain multiple community members.
Consumption
Goose was a thoroughly utilized food source and essentially nothing went to waste from the very respected animal. Goose would obviously be harvested for valuable meat portions, but the feathers, bones and organs were all also highly valued (Humphries and Kuhnlein, 2017). The feathers could be utilized in making valuable pillows and mattresses for the community and they were also regularly used for decoration (Humphries and Kuhnlein, 2017). The organs would be consumed and were highly valued components of the goose, especially the liver and intestine (Belinsky, 1998). The bones would be recycled either for decorative purposes or used in arrows or other hunting weapons generally (Humphries and Kuhnlein, 2017). Goose could be prepared in many ways, but it was traditionally roasted over a fire (Belinsky, 1998). However, before this process, the goose usually would be soaked in water, then the feather would be plucked and the bird would be eviscerated and cleaned (Belinsky, 1998). It was also sometimes smoked or dried for later consumption (Belinsky, 1998). In fact, the Hudson’s Bay Cree were known to dry every part of the goose (Beardy and Coutts, 1996). Which shows this species importance in long term use and consumption. However, in recent times the Cree have replaced smoking and drying with freezing for longer preservation (Elberg et al., 1975). Goose is still consumed by many Indigenous tribes, however, goose has partially been replaced by chicken for the Cree over time (Waldram, 1985).
Cultural and Economic Value
Goose had a considerable significance in both the cultural and social life for Indigenous people. This traditional food source would connect families and strengthen bonds. Families would participate in the hunting of the geese and this event was known as the most cooperative Cree hunting activity (Belinsky, 1998). “The Waterfowl hunt attracted over half of the potential hunters in every community, with an overall 80% participation rate” (Berkes et al., 1994, p.353). This shows how a large majority of the community came together to harvest geese and that it was a highly valued food resource . The goose hunt was among the most important and valued harvests for specifically the Coastal Cree (Peloquin and Berkes, 2010). In addition, for the Omushkego Cree, the single most important harvesting activity was the spring waterfowl hunt, dominated by Canada geese, followed by the fall waterfowl hunt dominated by Snow geese (Berkes et al., 1994). It is crucial to notice that geese were one of the most important species hunted not only from a cultural standpoint, but also an economic standpoint for many tribes as it would make up a large portion of their food source . Relating back to the cultural importance, the harvest of geese in the spring had a cultural importance, it was a celebration of life representing the survival of the family through the harsh winter (Tsuji and Nieboer, 2008). In general, “Cree culture taught on the land includes not only bush skills, but also ethics and values such as the importance of sharing and reciprocity” (Berkes et al., 1994, p.358). Which is why hunting activities such as a goose hunt should still be maintained by Indigenous communities, to teach youth these valuable lessons. Geese’s economic value lies in the fact that four species, which include moose, Canada goose, caribou and snow geese accounted for two thirds of the 1990 bush food harvest of 687,000 kg for the Omushkego Cree (Berkes et al., 1994). This means that goose represented almost a third of the total bush food harvest. Goose was also a highly valued trading item. For every 20 Geese harvested, the Cree were given one Beaver’s worth of trade goods from the Eastmain trading post, which included valuables such as cloth, guns and knives (Belinsky, 1998). Taking into consideration that the annual harvest by the James Bay Cree alone exceeded 63,000 geese, the profit generated from geese would be fundamental in Cree society (Belinsky, 1998). However, even in the early 1990’s the traditional economy only represented anywhere from 22-58 percent of the total economy for certain Indigenous communities (Berkes et al., 1994). This leads into the fact that hunting activities does not generate large amounts of profit for Indigenous communities other than feeding their community and in turn the goose hunt would have smaller economic value nowadays.
Indigenous people involved
Goose was hunted by a wide array of Indigenous tribes, but it was primarily hunted and utilized by the Cree (Belinsky, 1998). The Cree are a very extensive Indigenous tribe with many smaller groups within itself, and in fact are one of the largest Indigenous tribes in Canada when considering population size (Statistics Canada, 2016). Some of the smaller groups that were known to hunt geese on a regular basis were the Hudson’s Bay Cree, Omushkego Cree, Plains Cree and most notably the James Bay Cree (Humphries and kuhnlein, 2017). The James Bay Cree inhabited an extensive area of Quebec, but also along James Bay and moving up towards Hudson’s Bay. They occupied an area of nearly 300,000 square kilometers based in several communities (Belinsky, 1998). “Evidence suggests that Cree ancestors inhabited the James Bay region of Quebec for at least 5000 years” (Belinsky 1998). As a result, the Cree have been possibly hunting goose for nearly 5000 years, which makes it a remarkably strong tradition. The main communities within the James Bay Cree were the Wemindji, Eastmain, and Mistissini Cree (Belinsky, 1998). All of which found sustenance in goose hunting. Other well-known Indigenous tribes across Canada did adopt goose hunting such as the Métis and Micmac, but simply on a smaller scale compared to the Cree (Humphries and Kuhnlein, 2017).
References
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