How did American Subarctic peoples view ownership of land and water resources?

In traditional American Subarctic cultures, land and water resources were not viewed as individual or group property. Instead, these resources were considered communal, though social norms dictated that no one would usurp the privileges of a group currently utilizing a specific area, such as a hunting range, beaver creek, or berry patch.1

While land and water were not owned, portable goods—including clothing and the contents of food caches—were recognized as individual property. Sharing game was economically vital, and groups would occasionally borrow from one another’s food caches, provided the resources were replaced and the owners were informed.1

The concept of land ownership shifted significantly with the arrival of the fur trade, which led to the establishment of legally inalienable family trapping territories. Many of these territories have since been registered by government authorities. Prior to these external influences, territorial organization was generally based on mobile, kin-based bands or, in the Pacific drainage area, sedentary villages with associated territories for hunting and gathering.12