Ed, As far as I'm aware, all anthropologists are in complete agreement that there have been status levels (rank orderings) in all human societies that have been studied so far. It is a universal human trait. Whether rank order is achieved through mutual consent or in an oppressive way doesn't seem to matter as far as stress levels and immunological response (as measured by hormones) are concerned. The English Civil Service is hardly an example of an oppressive regime because it's mainly based on intellectual ability but it still produces large differences in well being and health (four-fold difference in morbidity) according to individual rank order among its 20-odd levels.
Even if there's no formal leadership among the Dene people I'm quite sure that every group will know what its "political" rank order is according to individual "worth" or "respect", even if it's only revealed occasionally in extreme problematic situations. I've no doubt that the individuals who spoke to the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry were such. Keith At 01:02 15/12/02 -0500, you wrote: > >Keith: > >> In the case of Michael Prowse's article, although he was quite right to >say >> that the earliest human groups were egalitarian to a considerable extent >> (such as sharing food), he was wrong to suggest that there would have been >> no rank orderings and thus little stress. But strict rank order has been >> found in all primate groups with consequent stress levels in all ranks >> below the top one. What's important is not to try and dissolve rank order >> in some egalitarian nirvana -- because that's impossible -- but to >organise >> our institutions with as few levels as possible. > >But surely Keith, not as we construct rank, in terms of hierarchy and >inheritance. I recall hearing testimony from the Dene (Athapaskan) people >before the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry that suggested that rank >depended on skill and knowledge. People would follow the best hunter >because he could help them provide the most food, or they would rely on the >man or woman who could provide the best medicine or resolve difficult >problems in the community. There was no sense of "king" or "prince" or even >of "chief". People were followed only because they could do things better >than others. > >Ed > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ Keith Hudson, General Editor, Handlo Music, http://www.handlo.com 6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England Tel: +44 1225 312622; Fax: +44 1225 447727; mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________________________________________________
