While on the subject of traditional life style, I have recently been reading about the fur trade in northern Ontario and it seems the natives at the time were quite willing to abandon their traditional life style to trade furs. In fact they were so keen on it they continually depleted the stock of fur bearing animals forcing the traders to move to new areas that had not been hunted out.

It occurred to me that sustainability was not a concern of the natives and that if the fur trading had not come to an end many animals might have gone extinct. It goes to show that the natives are no different from anyone else as far as environmental concern or the quest for material wealth is concerned.

And for those who do not know, the animals where hunted for fur by the natives not the non-natives. The non-natives just exchanged goods for the furs which the natives provided.

So with this in mind, when they talk about traditional lifestyle, which lifestyle are they talking about? The one that existed before the fur trade, the one during the fur trade, or the one after the fur trade?

I don't know about everyone else but I simply cannot understand what the objective is of a traditional lifestyle? Seems to me to conflict with what they keep asking for. I do not see how they can have a traditional lifestyle while at the same time a modern life style. They need to decide which and stick with it. The whole traditional lifestyle thing smells to me like a "red herring" which is designed to confuse the "enemy" us, and allow the natives to be non-commital and control the conversation.