As Americans with our vast wealth and technology, we often stereotype hunter-gatherers like the Bushmen as 'primitive.'

As Americans with our vast wealth and technology, we often stereotype hunter-gatherers like the Bushmen as ‘primitive.’

As Americans with our vast wealth and technology, we often stereotype hunter-gatherers like the Bushmen as ‘primitive.’ But how long could you do it? No running water, no automobiles, and (gasp!) no cell phones! Most of the skills and things you currently have would be utterly useless living off the land. How do the Bushmen do it? What skills would you have learn to survive by hunting and gathering? Include references citation format is MLA, 400-600 words

Sample Solution

Hunter-gatherers like the Bushmen of southern Africa are often stereotyped as primitive, yet these people have survived for thousands of years in some of the harshest climates on earth using skills that have been honed over many generations. Though modern conveniences like running water and automobiles are absent, the Bushmen and other hunter-gatherer societies demonstrate proficiency in a variety of practical and technical knowledge needed to survive by hunting and gathering.

The most fundamental skill set that a hunter-gatherer must possess is knowledge about the environment they inhabit. They need to know what kinds of animals inhabit an area, where resources such as water are located, what plants can be eaten or made into medicinal treatments, and when seasonal changes will occur (for example, when rainy seasons begin or end so they can adjust their hunting practices). This kind of intimate knowledge takes years to develop but even with more limited experience any individual could learn it by studying animal tracks and watching how local plants respond to weather conditions.

Hunting techniques used by hunter-gatherer societies vary widely depending on which animals they hunt as well as the tools available for hunting. The Bushmen are adept at tracking game by following footprints or other signs left behind such as trails through grasses or disturbed soil around ant mounds (Kirksey 2013). Depending on the types of game being tracked arrows may be used with bows fashioned from wood; spears tipped with metal points may also be used sometimes combined with poison obtained from local plant sources (Lee 2015). Furthermore individuals must know how best to approach prey while minimizing noise so not to scare away potential food sources.

Collecting edible plants is another key element in surviving in this type of lifestyle. Knowledge about which parts of certain plants are edible is essential for survival ; for example roots may be dug up during certain times of year while leaves may be picked before flowering occurs (Blurton Jones 2002). Other useful information includes learning which plants make good medicines or fibers that can then be woven into clothing items . Making effective use out of natural resources requires patience, practice ,and vigilance against poisonous species—all things attainable if one has access to mentors who already understand them .

In conclusion , living off the land requires an extensive array skills including intimate understanding about available resources within ones’ environment , efficient hunting methods , harvesting edible plants responsibly ,and making use out natural materials such as weaving baskets/mats or fashioning clothing items . The ability to acquire these skills varies among individuals ; however anyone willing put forth effort should gain competence over time given appropriate guidance .

Blurton Jones N G 2002 Plant foods consumed by !Kung women : nutritional composition associated reliable identification strategies Curr Anthropol 43: 19 – 39

Kirksey SE 2013 Savage minds : race war & feral futures Cultural Anthropology 28: 622–649

Lee R B 2015 The Dobe Ju/’hoansi 4th ed Wadsworth Cengage Learning Belmont CA

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