The Evolution from Self-Sufficiency to Global Trade

Self-sufficiency is the ability to provide for all of your basic needs, such as food, clothing, shelter, water – without relying on anyone else

E.g. Canada’s aboriginal peoples were self-sufficient (hunted/gathered their own food, made the clothes from the skins of the animals they ate, developed skills to make weapons, shelters and tools)

Aboriginals were the first to develop sophisticated trade networks...even before the Europeans arrived

E.g. Huron people in Ontario traded agricultural products with the northern peoples in return for meat, hides and furs

Every developing nation or civilization were self-sufficient at some point in time...as long as they were unaware of goods available from other parts of the world

As cultures came into contact with each other, they found that they had different things to share such as food, materials, crafts and technology

Self-sufficiency became less desirable

As trade developed, providing food for your family became easier...there were more ways to make a living and people began to live longer and healthier lives

Today, there are still groups who have refused to give up their self-sufficiency

?? Amish, Old Order Mennonite

In the 1960s, many groups rejected the traditional cultural norms (work)

and founded communes These were self-sufficient communities

based on the principles of communal property and shared responsibility

Many attempts at communal living were short-lived but there are still communities throughout the world ...being self-sufficient

Ecovillages, residential trust lands, communes, student co-ops and urban housing cooperatives

Over 500 intentional communities exist in the world today