--Gary ]
I am posting some references for those interested in the debates about
the treatment of the environment by indigenous peoples. These books
and articles contain references to some of the literature relevant to the
discussion (with a bias towards Latin America), some of which I can post
if there is interest.
Of course there is no single characterization of all indigenous peoples
as prudent caretakers, rapacious villians, accidentally good managers or
accidental destroyers of their lands. This varies from from one peoples to
another, from one time to another, and even according to different
aspects of using the environment within the group.
Don't look to indigenous peoples to fit into the myth of the noble
savage (Redford, 1990) or the myth of the ignorant child of nature
(Adams and McShane, 1992; Callicott, 1989; Warren, 1991; Warren, et al.,
1992). In some cases, indigenous peoples have caused extinctions of
entire species (Anderson, 1990; Diamond, 1989a,b; Olson and James,
1984; Martin and Klein, 1984); or caused local extinctions (Brightman,
1987; Hames, 1991; Ponting, 1992). In other cases, they have maintained
or even enhanced biodiversity (Balee, 1989; Bennett, 1992; Oldfield and
Alcorn, 1991; Poffenberger, 1990; Redford and Padoch, 1992).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Adams, J.S. and T.O. McShane (1992). The Myth of Wild Africa:
Conservation without Illusion. W.W. Norton & Company, New York.
Anderson, A. (1990). Prodigious Birds: Moas and Moa-Hunting in
Prehistoric New Zealand. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Anderson, D. and R. Grove (eds.)(1987). Conservation in Africa: People,
Policies and Practice. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Balee, W. (1989). The culture of Amazonian forests. In: D.A. Posey and W.
Balee (eds.): Resource Management in Amazonia: Indigenous and Folk
Strategies. Advances in Economic Botany 7: 1-21. New York Botanical
Gardens, Bronx, NY.
Bennett, B.C. (1992). Plants and people of the Amazonian rainforests.
BioScience 42(8): 599-607.
Berkes, F. (ed.)(1989). Common Property Resources: Ecology and
Community-Based Sustainable Development. Belhaven Press, London.
Brightman, R. (1987). Conservation and resource depletion. In: B. McCay
and J. Acheson (eds.): The Question of the Commons, University of
Arizona Press, Tucson. pp. 121-141.
Bromley, D.W. (ed.)(1992). Managing Common Property. Publisher???
Callicott, J. (1990). American Indian land wisdom? Sorting out the issues.
In: P. Olson (ed.): The Struggle for the Land. University of Nebraska
Press, Lincoln. pp. 44-69.
Clay, J. (1988). Indigenous Peoples and Tropical Forests: Models of Land
Use and Management from Latin America. Cultural Survival,
Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Cordell, J. (ed.)(1989). A Sea of Small Boats. Cultural Survival, Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
Diamond, J. (1989a). Quaternary megafaunal extinctions: Variations on a
theme by Paganini. Journal of Archaeological Science 16: 167-175.
Diamond, J. (1989b). The Golden Age that never was. Discover (?): pp. ?.
Hames, R. (1991). Wildlife conservation in tribal societies. In: M. L.
Oldfield and J.B. Alcorn (eds.): Biodiversity: Culture, Conservation and
Ecodevelopment. Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado. pp. 172-199.
Oldfield, M.L. and J.B. Alcorn (eds.)(1991). Biodiversity: Culture,
Conservation and Ecodevelopment. Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado.
Olson, S.L. and H. James (1984). The role of Polynesians in the extinction
of the avifauna of the Hawaiian Islands. In: P.S. Martin, P.S. and R.G.
Klein (eds.): Quaternary Extinctions: A Prehistoric Revolution.
University of Arizona Press, Tucson. pp. 768-780.
Martin, P.S. and R.G. Klein (eds.)(1984). Quaternary Extinctions: A
Prehistoric Revolution. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.
Poffenberger. M. (ed.)(1990). Keepers of the Forest: Land Management
Alternatives in Southeast Asia. Kumarian Press, West Hartford,
Connecticut.
Ponting, C. (1992). An Ecological History of the World. Press??
Redford, K.H. (1990). The ecologically noble savage. Cultural Survival
Quarterly 15(1): 46-48.
Redford, K.H. (1992). The empty forest. BioScience 42(6): 412-422.
Redford, K.H. and C. Padoch (eds.)(1992). Conservation of Neotropical
Forests: Working from Traditional Resource Use. Columbia University
Press, New York.
Warren, D.M. (1991). Using Indigenous Knowledge in Agricultural
Development. World Bank Discussion Paper 127. World Bank,
Washington, D.C.
Warren, D.M., D. Brokensha and L.J. Slikkerveer (eds.)(1992). Indigenous
Knowledge Systems: The Cultural Dimension of Development. Kegan
Paul International, London.
Wilson, E.O. (1992). The Diversity of Life. Belknap Press, Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
_________________________________________________________________
Preston D. Hardison
Center for Indigenous Environment and Development
4224 University Way
Seattle, WA 98105
tel: (206) 547-2361
internet: pdh@u.washington.edu
econet: phardison