ABSTRACT
The perception of direction and dimension is one of the most deceptive experiences of life in the North. The deceptiveness of physical space is consonant with some parallel problems in judging the scale of social relationships. The quality of life at Colville Lake was a function of many factors, embracing not only how humans interacted with nature, and how Dene and whites related to one another, but also with how the whites themselves have adapted to each other’s presence. A key aspect of community conscience in the feud was the depth and variety of individual commitments to the main protagonists. The effect of the feud upon the people’s ecological involvement was really quite complex. Some of the more traditional men actually increased their fishing in the spring and summer, selling their surplus fish to the trader in order to clear up part of their debt.
