ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the conceptual bases of both subsistence and recreation, and considers the appropriateness of traditional precepts within the context of a relatively affluent, modernizing economy. Subsistence production has become more and more intertwined with both the private and public sectors of the cash economy. Traditionally, subsistence had been viewed as representing the minimum standard for physical survival, and recreation was regarded as little more than the activities engaged in for play or relaxation during periods of leisure time. State and federal laws ascribe subsistence rights to both Alaskan Natives and non-Natives as subsistence users of resources. A publicly-owned and managed resource is harvested for three basic purposes; commercial, recreation, and subsistence. D. Harmon has convincingly argued that human cultural diversity is a desirable social objective, and that renewable natural resources should be sensitively managed to promote continued subsistence opportunities that facilitate cultural diversity.
