Hunting, trapping, fishing, and gathering provide an important source
of food and fuel for the Cree-speaking Metis of Pinehouse on the Churc
hill River in northern Saskatchewan. This paper reports the findings o
f a harvest survey based on one-year recall. The village's total harve
st of fish, mammals, birds, berries, and fuelwood is documented by spe
cies from April 1983 through March 1984. Virtually all 145 adult male
residents were interviewed. Respondents reported their harvests in uni
ts of their choice such as fish tub and truckload of fuelwood. Studies
based on participant observation, monitoring programs involving short
recall periods of a few days, and empirical measurement were done to
determine conversion factors. These were used to translate harvesters'
reporting units into numbers of animals by species (cords for fuelwoo
d), and then to whole and edible weights. The total harvest was 84.5 t
onnes of edible meat or 0.342 kg per day for each of the 676 residents
. Three tonnes of berries and 682 cords of fuelwood were harvested. Th
e village's gross income for the survey period is assessed and a dolla
r value assigned to the harvest. The bush harvest (income-in-kind and
commodities) accounted for one-third of total village income, which co
ntradicts the prevalent stereotype that resources from the land do not
significantly contribute to the Pinehouse economy.