Traditional Ecological Knowledge and the conservation of natural resources
Nature as w e know it means different things to different people. To an economist, natural is often seen as a resource to be transformed and put in readiness for human use. An alternative view is that humans are stewards who should care for natural things as well as making use of nature’s bounty. Another view is that nature of animism, which sees nature as a living thing, something to be respected and not controlled. Some native American’s view the earth as a sacred place could be called animist. Another alternative view is that the entire planet earth is a self correcting system based on a symbiotic relationship between the earth and the living beings(Peacock, 1996). This symbiotic view is called, the Gaia Hypothesis. Some scientists view nature as something that is dangerous and disoriented, so it must be tamed by science.
Throughout history in North America, the indigenous peoples culture, tradition and religion have always differed from the western way of life. In this essay, I will explore three views of nature-indigenous people’s view of nature, western science view and the economist view. Second, I will take a look out how a more ecocentric view can be formed by amalgamating western science with traditional ecological view of nature. I believe that understanding why conservation of our natural resources is important will go a long way in helping us understand why our individual action affects the ecosystem.
About three years ago, I became interested in the indigenous people’s view of nature when I saw a documentary which explored the indigenous people way of culture and beliefs. What I was fascinated about was when the presenter of the documen...
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...hich? Are we learning about local people’s knowledge, indigenous knowledge or traditional knowledge? This can cause quite a dilemma when trying to present traditional ecological knowledge to the western society. As we all know that generally speaking, the secular western society prefers clear cut definitions. For example, each branch of western science like biology, chemistry, physics are defined in a very orderly and neat fashion.
Recently, there have been a lot of literature that compares western science and traditional ecological knowledge. I believe that both western science and traditional ecological knowledge have similarities as well as differences. Western science as stated already is more concerned with is more concerned with analytical and reductionist method compared to the more practical and holistic associated with traditional ecological knowledge.
By analyzing the Kawaiisu, a Great Basin Native tribe, I want to explore cultural wonders and observe their society as I compare an aspect of interest with that of another culture in the world, the Chuuk. Comparing different societies of the world will allow me to successfully learn about the Kawaiisu people in a more detailed and open minded manner. Populations all around the world throughout time have had different views and traditions of beliefs. Through this project, I hope to unravel and gain an understanding of different perspectives and ways of life.
In the article The Clash of Cultures, William Cronon and Richard White delve into “the interrelations between people and their environment,” (11) specifically, between the American Indians and the Europeans and the Americas. The reason Cronon and White wrote this article was, “In part, a result of our current concern with pollution and the exhaustion of valuable natural resources, but it has also proved to be a valuable way of learning more about how people of past generations and different cultures dealt with nature and with one another.” (11)
Richard Nelson highly praises the Eskimo for their knowledge and adaptation. They are known to be living in the harshest environment, yet they brilliantly adjust their lifestyle to survive it. Nelson describes many events he has encountered during his time in Alaska to demonstrate how deeply the Eskimos are bonded with the nature. His main argument is simply stating their interaction with nature and an affinity with the non-human life. He wants to use the relationship between Koyukon Indians and the nature to show what we once had that was forgotten and ignored.
From the lone hiker on the Appalachian Trail to the environmental lobby groups in Washington D.C., nature evokes strong feelings in each and every one of us. We often struggle with and are ultimately shaped by our relationship with nature. The relationship we forge with nature reflects our fundamental beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. The works of timeless authors, including Henry David Thoreau and Annie Dillard, are centered around their relationship to nature.
Duane Champagne in Social Change and Cultural Continuity Among Native Nations explains that there has never been one definitive world view that comprises any one Native American culture, as there is no such thing as one “Native community” (2007:10). However, there are certain commonalities in the ways of seeing and experiencing the world that many Native communities and their religions seem to share.
Nature causes life, beautiful scenery, and a place for humans to live. Nature also causes death, sickness, and worldwide disasters. One can view nature with an optimistic or pessimistic outlook. Some people go through life by taking nature for granite and not realizing that they live at the mercy of nature. Comparatively, there are groups of people who view the nature with all the beauty it provides. The Native Americans’ treated nature with great respect; however, the Europeans did not hold nature in a high regard. The Native American cosmology allowed the land and other living creatures to be treated with great spiritual respect and with the notion that nature is more important than man. The first Europeans who came to the New World thought of land as a place to make profit and living
These Indigenous people realized that the only way to heal the poverty, dysfunction, addiction, and violence that has plagued them since the ‘assimilation’ efforts was to turn back to their traditional spiritual practices and teach them to the young people (Robbins). Often, the return to Native traditions has meant taking on environmental concerns, opposing development activities, and becoming politically active to protect the nature that is so closely tied to indigenous spiritual practices. This is what makes indigenous spirituality different and hard to define and protect, it is closely tied to the land and environment, which is very different from religion (Fisher). The United Nations defines the situation perfectly in “The State of the World’s Indigenous People: Chapter 2”: “…spirituality defines the relationships of indigenous peoples with their environment as custodians of the land; it helps construct social relationships, gives meaning, purpose and hope to life.” (Kipuri,
Nanda, S and Warms, R.L. (2011). Cultural Anthropology, Tenth Edition. Belmont, California: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. ISBN – 13:978-0-495-81083-4.
Throughout history in North America, the indigenous peoples culture, tradition and religion have always differed from the western way of life. In this essay, I will explore two things. First, I will talk about the indigenous people’s view of the conservation of resources which can also be termed as the traditional ecological knowledge and the economist view of natural resources. Second, I will argue in this essay that by thinking of resources from the traditional ecological point of view, we can better understand why conserving our natural resources is important. I believe that we understanding why conservation of our natural resources is important will go a long way in helping us understand why our individual action affects our ecosystem.
In a modern Australian society, there is still tribulation in the lives of the Indigenous regarding controversial issues around. The bloodthirsty eradication of trees and other vegetation is intimidating towards the natural atmosphere, as well as to those who are from an Indigenous landscape, as the link between biodiversity and Indigenous people is believed as supernatural. In Indigenous holy beliefs, practices like deforestation rubbish the spirit and soul out of the biodiversity and is considered as the discrimination of god and Mother Nature. This makes the Indigenous more susceptible to a culture they feel is mistreated, which further ruins the nature’s spiritual identity. In addition, living organisms lose their habitat, particularly
“A Personal Foreword: The Value of Native Ecologies” in Peter KNUDTSON and David SUZUKI. Wisdom Of The Elders. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing, 2001 [1992]: XXI–XXXV
A human induced global ecological crisis is occurring, threatening the stability of this earth and its inhabitants. The best path to address environmental issues both effectively and morally is a dilemma that raises concerns over which political values are needed to stop the deterioration of the natural environment. Climate change; depletion of resources; overpopulation; rising sea levels; pollution; extinction of species is just to mention a few of the damages that are occurring. The variety of environmental issues and who and how they affect people and other species is varied, however the nature of environmental issues has the potential to cause great devastation. The ecological crisis we face has been caused through anthropocentric behavior that is advantageous to humans, but whether or not anthropocentric attitudes can solve environmental issues effectively is up for debate. Ecologism in theory claims that in order for the ecological crisis to be dealt with absolutely, value and equality has to be placed in the natural world as well as for humans. This is contrasting to many of the dominant principles people in the contemporary world hold, which are more suited to the standards of environmentalism and less radical approaches to conserving the earth. I will argue in this essay that whilst ecologism could most effectively tackle environmental problems, the moral code of ecologism has practical and ethical defects that threaten the values and progress of anthropocentricism and liberal democracy.
To understand the nature-society relationship means that humans must also understand the benefits as well as problems that arise within the formation of this relationship. Nature as an essence and natural limits are just two of the ways in which this relationship can be broken down in order to further get an understanding of the ways nature and society both shape one another. These concepts provide useful approaches in defining what nature is and how individuals perceive and treat
Nature serves as a phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations. Nature is here for us to learn and grow. This phenomenon has allowed for the reproduction of both human and animal offspring to flourish, serves as a catalyst for the prevalent thoughts that encourage the innovative uses of technology and its functions have induced mankind into a perpetual state of invigoration. With nature being so deeply infused into the process that humans must undergo to obtain success, one must wonder: why is nature commonly not given the respect that it deserves? We as humans must understand that this can be attributed to egocentric
The IK embedded in the stories reveal how such knowledge is instrumental in ushering in and mitigating ecological catastrophe (Woollett, 2007). Cajete (2000) observes that “ultimately, the goal of Indigenous education is to perpetuate a way of life through the generations and through time. The purpose of all education is to instruct the next generation about what is valued and important to a society” (p. 184). In Canada, Native schools have begun to emerge where Native people (of particular tribal groups) conduct education for children in their own languages and develop a curriculum which is based on reclaiming traditional knowledges and worldviews, for example, the importance of land and environment and what land and environment means to Aboriginal