wow, actually, considering how many kids they have, sounds like they really have it under control, doing about as best as is possible with that many kids... Im impressed actually, even if my mind (and reproductive instinct) recoils in horror at the thought of that many kids, id say with how they have things set up, and all that industrial equipment, id say it would be much easier than I originally thought... (not saying it would be easy! just easier than I thought! lol)

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Curator,
I asked the mother about that, and she said it really wasn't that much more of an effort to prepare food. She just multiplied the desired recipe by 7-10 times, and measuring really wasn't anything, as she had these huge cups, and scales for stuff, and a huge mixer. She enlisted the help of 3-4 children, and viola!

Per child the total energy and cost expenditure is probably pretty good, considering they get everything in bulk. "Cheaper by the dozen". I was thinking they are 'living large', but "living in Bulk" is probably more accurate.

I think you would like the grandmother, my great aunt. I remember the last time I saw her she looked so great. In her 70's and wearing a mini skirt and high heels. My grandmother never approved. She always said she worried too much about gaining weight. Too bad, my grandmother never looked like that. She worked out, was up on nutrition, vitamins etc... I don't think she ate much meat or dairy. No alcohol, no smoking, low fat, not much processed food. not surprising?

my neighbor has 13 kids .. we call them the dirty dozen lol all great .. not something i would do but to each their own .. overall the family seems like a tight well run ship

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

I just don't understand how anyone can even afford that many kids. Like, how much do you think their rent or mortgage must be? Food, all the cars, insurance, gas etc, clothes, activities for each kid, toys and toiletries. And how in the Heck are they going to pay for college or university? That's just so irresponsible, sorry to judge but I have 2 and know how much money everything is for them even eating vegetarian and shopping second hand and living frugally and in a small space. Even saving every month for their education they won't have enough to pay for it all (unless they stay living at home that is). What about if any of them want to get married? Or their first cars? They are going to start off life in serious debt before they even have a chance to DO anything with themselves, those kids. Do people even think of these things while they are wantonly procreating?! SHEESH!

coco,
I never specifically asked about the economics of my 2nd cousins. But I know that the husband had an exec job at the north slope, and was gone for two weeks at a time, and at home for two weeks. Even with that I am sure they still had some sort of government assistance, and of course probably had different sort of taxation than that of smaller families.

My partner found them sort of annoying because he used to volunteer for an organization promoting zero population growth. He gave up when 4 women at the center were pregant. I usually don't bring up the topic of my second cousins that live in Wasilla if I can ever avoid it.

Wasilla, you say? Ah.

I liked it better when no one knew of Wasilla outside of Alaska. I used to always say "anchorage" or just outside of Anchorage.

The eskimo's were so constipated that they created a spirit that literally translated as 'Fart Man'.

Here is more info on the dangers of paleo diets.
[www.raw-food-health.net]

when you cook food it destorys all the enzymes in the food that you need to digest it so your body uses its own store of enzymes to digest the food and that is how people get degenerative diseases. Also eating cooked food clogs up the colon and the arteries. Dr Walker lived to be 104 and he had 4-6 pints of fresh vegetable juice evrey day a salad and dulse everyday. At the age of 104 just before he died he was still in perfect physical and mental health, and he had no degenerative diseases.He said that we are supposed to get better physically and mentally as we get older, not worse and the reason why we do is because of cooked food, fried food, canned food, baked, roasted, junk food,etc.

jhon Wrote:
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> when you cook food it destorys all the enzymes in
> the food that you need to digest it so your body
> uses its own store of enzymes to digest the food


Um... no...


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Durianrider, Fart Man? Pfttt! Funny!

"Fart-man"? Perhaps a better translation might have been 'tootie'. Where do people come up with such things? Is that like believing in the boogie man or something? Or the talking donkey?

durianrider,
I don't understand your statement about 'fart-man'. I don't know if you are promoting the vegan diet, or trying to poke fun at eskimo people. They already are economically disadvantaged, and face a tremendous amount of prejudice. I imagine there are no whole foods markets on baffin island.

I didn't take it that way. Many indigenous people attribute certain characteristics to a spirit, like an illness, a fever, or even an attitude, a "humor" if you will. Not funny ha ha humor, that is a spirit in the body. So excessive gas would be represented by the "spirit" Fart Man. Which when translated into English is pretty funny.
And I can see how eating a diet of mostly flesh would constipate and give you gas. No fault of their own, still funny to me. I live with children though, farts are a routine giggle inducing occurance around here.

Coco,
Thank you for your perspective, certainly a better way to view things.

Back in the day, Eskimos had very poor health and the main cause of death was from osteoporosis and heart disease.

Look at people trying to eat an eskimo diet today? They get fat, get constipated and suffer from chronic fatigue and heart issues.

Eskimos got so constipated that they created a spirit that was called 'fart man'. Doesnt make em bad people, I never said that. Im just saying the facts. Your right, they didnt have options. We do. Lets use em and share em.

It's Inuit, not Eskimo. The repeated use of that slang term could be taken as offensive.

durianrider,
I've often wondered about the use of studies about the Eskimo diet to prove something or another for a variety of purposes. Didn't make sense for other people to attempt it, or something like it if its not their heritage.

Wow, I didn't know one could die from osteoporosis.

Coco,
I usually don't take offense to the term Eskimo, mostly because most people don't know the terms Inuit, Inupiaq, Yupik, chupik etc... I always found that a little strange to have someone else correct me on that, when nobody else seems to know what I am talking about.

Perhaps it's a Canadian thing since we live closer. I have rarely heard anyone in my country say "Eskimo" instead of Inuit, its considered very un-PC here. Maybe it's different in the states? In a way it is like hearing someone refer First Nations people as "Red Skins" or the Chinese as "Chinks". If that's not the case where you live I understand.

Amazingly enough I have read about the Inuit people developing amazing health benefits from their diet as well, things that are very different from people in other countries with access to different foods. Just goes to show that we can indeed evolve to survive and thrive under many different circumstances. They may not all be optimum but the body is an amazing survival mechanism.

Coco,
Thank you for your thoughtfulness. In my visits to B.C. I appreciated certain aspects of PC there. But sometimes I think its perhaps a little bit to sensitive, and then not sensitive to other things. The problem is that "Inuit" is usually Canadian, Inupiaq is the term in Alaska, Along with Yupik. "Inuit" really just means 'people', so in a sense everyone are 'Inuit', but not in the cultural or racial sense. I rather like the term aboriginal or first nations, its better than 'native american'. I have heard people start to refer to people as native american because they were born here, not quite what I think.

Since I started helping with the cooking here, my partners sister gave me a cooking aprin. It had a tee pee and some corn stalks on it or what not. I just looked at it rather puzzled, and hung it up in closet. I haven't used it yet.

I pretty much have to kind of 'make things up' as I go as far as diet goes. I won't pretend that I live in any traditional way. I often don't know what to think about nutritional studies as most often they don't include Inupiaq people either genetically or culturally.

It's certainly very un PC to say Eskimo now in the UK. Definately Inuit is the word

Ah, so it is not just Canada.

Mislu, there can be excessive PC-ing, it's true. But I think that we must go from being insensitive to too sensitive so that we can find middle ground. We have not become too sensitive yet I think . It will happen eventually.

Eskimo went out of fashion for a bit in the US for the same reasons as in Canada and elsewhere. I certainly was taught not to use it as a child. Inuit was the usual substitution, however, this was not really accurate as Eskimo was actually used to refer to several groups of indigenous peoples (as Mislu pointed out). Since calling all groups of indigenous northern peoples was just as identity stripping and inaccurate as Eskimo, the term Eskimo is again accepted for lack of a better universal term in the US.

I think I did hear another expression the other day on the television and I thought 'that's a new one on me'(now can't remember it of course!!) and I have heard that Inuit isn't really the correct term but I'm not sure what is - in UK anyway - so for now I say Inuit.

I like like the PC sensitivity better. I remember as a kid seeing some characterization on t.v. with "loonie toons", with bugs bunny. I remember finding it very hurtful. But the networks have removed that years ago. I don't think I have seen that for over twenty years, thank "sedna". (not that I really understand that goddess, but i thought it fitting)

Just today I noticed the eskimo pie in the frozen section. Gads, I haven't noticed that in years, I think I just edit it out. I guess its ok, people say they like the brand. I guess its like 'sue bee' or 'sunny jim'. So I try to ignore it. Overall I am very seperated from my culture. I don't feel very grounded in any culture to tell you the truth.

Mislu, this is very common I think. If you feel like talking about your culture or culture in general I'm up for a thread in the OT forum any time .

Ok, that sounds like it would be a great topic. Certainly would leave a lot to talk about!

Its always interesting learning about other cultures

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

I love how people justify eating cows, dairy etc and they cite studies done on eskimos that never even ate same.

Durianrider,
Yes, its not a justification for anything. You have gotten me to thinking about a lot of things. I haven't the slightest as to what I should be eating for my best health. Nothing where I live qualifies as traditional food. I'm not living a traditional lifestyle that is for sure. So I have to make things up, sort of and see how I digest things. I never lived traditionally ever. So I guess I am 'free' to choose whatever. The thing that worries me is the genetic factor. A lot of people have some input on that, like they are the experts about my heritage and culture. I just think wow how do people come up with that stuff. I am so unfamiliar with my culture I really don't know what to say about the disease and digestion problems or any possible stories related to that.

Durian,
You have me thinking about what is the general thought of the Inuit diaspora. I cannot speak for everyone, but you have me rethinking everything I know. I have read collections of stories, and reading between the lines I get the impression that Inuits know that their arctic environment has many 'inconvient truths'. Its less that ideal, but traditionally nobody explains the stories, you listen and think for yourself.

Going to a few potlucks with traditional foods, I found that it was not a good time. But I usually get criticized that I am a city eskimo or what not, or just plain white guy under it all.