| Abstract: |
Hunting, fishing, and recreational rates of 276 American Indians attending a festival
at Fort Hall, near the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL),
were examined. Nearly half of the sample lived on the Fort Hall Reservation, and half
were American Indians from elsewhere in the western United States. An additional
44 White people attending the festival were also interviewed. The hypothesis
that there are differences in hunting, fishing, and recreational rates as a
function of tribal affiliation, educational level, gender, and age was examined.
Information on hunting and fishing rates are central for understanding potential
exposure scenarios for American Indians if the Department of Energy's INEEL lands
are ever opened to pubic access, and the data are important because of the existence
of tribal treaties that govern the legal and cultural rights of the Shoshone-Bannock
regarding INEEL lands. Variations in hunting, fishing, and photography rates
were explained by tribal affiliation (except fishing), gender, age, and schooling.
Hunting rates were significantly higher for Indians
(both those living on Fort Hall and others) than Whites.
Men engaged in significantly higher rates of outdoor activities
than women (except for photography). Potential and current hunting and fishing
on and adjacent to INEEL was more similar among the local Whites and Fort Hall
Indians than between these two groups and other American Indians. |