Bush Land
terminology is a collection of words and definitions taken from the
glossary of Terry Garvin's Bush Land People and used to describe some
of the things in the bush and activities of people in the boreal forest
region.
Aboriginal
- being the first of its kind in a region; see native person
Algonquian
- a stock of native languages spoken from Labrador and westward
to the Great Plains
barge - a large, flat bottomed boat capable of carrying 300 - 600
tonnes of freight on rivers and lakes, and pushed or pulled by a power
boat
barged - carried or transported on a barge
boreal - of, related to or located in northern regions; related to or
growing in northern and mountainous parts of the Northern Hemisphere
break-up - the breaking of ice on lakes and rivers in the spring
bush person - a person occupying forested land living in part or in total
from the land
cabin - a small house on a trapline, usually having one room and built
out of logs
camp - a residence , home or property in the northern bush land
carryall - a toboggan about 4 m long and 0.5 wide fitted with a canvas or
hide container and pulled by dogs or a snowmobile; used for transporting
people and goods; used by trappers and hunters
caulk - to make waterproof by filling seams or joints of boats or
houses with waterproof material
caulking - material used to caulk seams
dog musher - a person who controls and drives a dog team
downstream - in the direction of the flow of a stream
dressing - preparing the carcass of a hunted animal, bird or fish for
storage or cooking
ethnic - relating to nationalities of large groups of people classed
according to common traits and customs; a member of a minority group who
retains the customs, language or social views of the group
Euro-Canadian - people who settled Canada, most of whom were from Europe; first
foreigners to meet, live and do business with aboriginal people in Canada
fish stick - dog food comprising of about 10 kg of fish hung
on a pole for drying; typically about 20 fish suspended through holes in
the tail and dried
flusher(flesher) - an instrument for scraping hair, fat and residual meat off
the hide of an animal in preparation for tanning
freeze-up - the time of year when rivers and lakes freeze over; the onset
of winter
habitat - natural environment of an animal or plant
home base - the main residence of a trapper
Indian - a person registered or entitled to be registered under the Indian
Act of Canada
line cabin - temporary residence of a trapper located one
day's travel from the main residence
lobstick - a location marker for dog team or river travellers
consisting of a tall tree with only the topmost branches, leaves and cones
remaining, easily seen above neighbouring bush
log-built - home or cabin built with logs
mainland - the main part of land other than islands
Métis - a person of mixed blood: of Indian and non-Indian ancestry
midwife - a woman who helps women in childbirth
moose call - a megaphone made of birch bark used by a hunter
for attracting moose
moss - as in bog, swamp, peat, peat moss; a clump of plants having
small, leafy, often tufted stem bearing sex organs at its tip; a clump of these plants; a mossy covering
muskeg - a marshy deposit of
partly decayed vegetable matter
characteristic of northern regions
native - belonging to a particular place by birth; belonging to or
associated with one by birth; synonym: indigenous, aboriginal; a reference
to persons of Canadian aboriginal ancestry, including people who are
defined as Indian, Inuit and Métis
native person - a member of a people who are traditional or
original inhabitants in a region; in Canada the term includes both
aboriginals and Métis
outsiders - people in native communities who are temporary residents or
visitors, often employees of government or private agencies
pemmican - dried, lean meat pounded into a paste with melted fat,
sometimes flavored with dried berries
portage - a carrying of boats, canoes and provisions over land from
one stretch of water to another; the route followed in making such a
transfer; the labour of carrying or transporting; to move or carry gear
over a portage
rat canoe - a small, very light boat (about 3m long) used
in shallow water for hunting muskrat
reefer - a refrigerator or walk-in cooler for community use in
northern communities for the storage of food from game hunting and fishing
reservation - land for the exclusive use of Indian Bands
service community - a settlement, town or village where food,
clothing, supplies and market are provided in a trapping and hunting
region
sets - a place where traps and snares are set to catch animals
sinew - tough, fibrous tissue uniting muscle and bone; a tendon;
usually taken from the neck of moose, deer, elk or caribou
skiff (Chipewyan) - a flat-bottomed boat, typically about 7m
long; used for river travel
stick-built - homes or cabins built of sawed timber,
i.e., lumber
stroud cloth - a heavy woollen cloth first made in Stroud,
England
tallow - animal fat fed to sled dogs usually as an energy supplement
on day-long trips
tanning - the process of converting raw hide to clothing fabric, i.e,
leather
tea dance - a dance of most northern native people
involving a circle of people who dance side-by-side to the rhythm of drums
thong - a narrow strip of hide used as a fastener or lash made from
tanned hide of moose, deer, caribou or elk
trading post - a centrally located store that trades groceries
and trapline supplies for furs and cash
traces - leather straps by which dogs pulled a toboggan
tree line - the separation between forested land and barren
land
Reprinted from Bush Land People with permission of the author.
Copyright Terry Garvin 1992-2002.
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