'Being alive well' : health and the politics of Cree well-being (Anthropological horizons)

Type

Book

Authors

Naomi Adelson ( Adelson, Naomi )

ISBN 10

0802083269

ISBN 13

9780802083265

Tags

Cree -- Health and hygiene -- Quebec (Province), Cree -- Medicine -- Quebec (Province), Cree philosophy, Cree

Abstract

For the Cree there is no word that translates into English as 'health.' The most apt phrase is miyupimaatisiiun or, as I translate it, 'being alive well.' 'Being alive well' constitutes what one may describe as being healthy; yet it is less determined by bodily functions than by the practices of daily living and by the balance of human relationships intrinsic to Cree lifestyles. 'Being alive well' means that one is able to hunt, to pursue traditional activities, to eat the right foods, and (not surprisingly, given the harsh northern winters) to keep warm. This is above all a matter of quality of life. That quality is linked, in turn, to political and social phenomena that are as much a part of the contemporary Cree world as are the exigencies of 'being alive well.'

Description

ix, 141 pages : map ; 24 cm.

Biblio Notes

Contents:
'If the land is not healthy then how can we be?' --
The Whapmagoostui Iyiyuu'ch. --
Miyupimaatisiiun: 'Being alive well' --
The politics of Miyupimaatisiiun. --
Summary and postscript.

Number of Copies