Pub Date : 2022-07-01DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-42.2.131
Antoine Dorison
Abstract. The Mexican Central Highlands have been a major cluster for human settlement since pre-Hispanic times and its soils provide much of the food for modern Mexico. Rainfed cultivation yielded and still yields most of the agricultural products. However, pre-Hispanic rainfed cultivation has been less documented than other practices. Moreover, textual and ethnographic records, mostly postdating the deep modifications made by the Spanish conquerors, have long been prevalent in studies on pre-Hispanic farming and have tended to bias our conception of the latter. Archaeology provides new key information but struggles to address rainfed techniques, which leave few remains behind in some landscapes. To that regard, spatial approaches considering geoecological parameters are helpful. Furthermore, remote sensing techniques and airborne laser scanning (LiDAR), above all, offer increasing potential for feature detection and provides new ways to address fossilized landscapes at both archaeological and environmental levels. This paper offers new insights on pre-Hispanic rainfed cultivation through an interdisciplinary approach. It focuses on archaeological settlements on malpaís landforms (young and rugged lava flows) in the Malpaís de Zacapu, in western Mexico. There, a method combining fieldwork and remote sensing in archaeology and soil science was developed to reassess pre-Hispanic farming. After presenting the method and this study's main results, I discuss the latter in light of examples of ethnohistorical and ethnographical uses of malpaís landforms. They suggest that widespread conceptions about agricultural soils of the Mexican Central Highlands held by external observers differ from Indigenous and local farmers' notions, which seem partly inherited from pre-Hispanic times.
{"title":"Ancient Agriculture on Lava Flows: Using LiDAR and Soil Science to Reassess Pre-Hispanic Farming on Malpaís Landforms in West Mexico","authors":"Antoine Dorison","doi":"10.2993/0278-0771-42.2.131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-42.2.131","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The Mexican Central Highlands have been a major cluster for human settlement since pre-Hispanic times and its soils provide much of the food for modern Mexico. Rainfed cultivation yielded and still yields most of the agricultural products. However, pre-Hispanic rainfed cultivation has been less documented than other practices. Moreover, textual and ethnographic records, mostly postdating the deep modifications made by the Spanish conquerors, have long been prevalent in studies on pre-Hispanic farming and have tended to bias our conception of the latter. Archaeology provides new key information but struggles to address rainfed techniques, which leave few remains behind in some landscapes. To that regard, spatial approaches considering geoecological parameters are helpful. Furthermore, remote sensing techniques and airborne laser scanning (LiDAR), above all, offer increasing potential for feature detection and provides new ways to address fossilized landscapes at both archaeological and environmental levels. This paper offers new insights on pre-Hispanic rainfed cultivation through an interdisciplinary approach. It focuses on archaeological settlements on malpaís landforms (young and rugged lava flows) in the Malpaís de Zacapu, in western Mexico. There, a method combining fieldwork and remote sensing in archaeology and soil science was developed to reassess pre-Hispanic farming. After presenting the method and this study's main results, I discuss the latter in light of examples of ethnohistorical and ethnographical uses of malpaís landforms. They suggest that widespread conceptions about agricultural soils of the Mexican Central Highlands held by external observers differ from Indigenous and local farmers' notions, which seem partly inherited from pre-Hispanic times.","PeriodicalId":54838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology","volume":"42 1","pages":"131 - 151"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48520226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-01DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.20
Jonathan Garcia Silva, Roberta de Almeida Caetano, Rafael Ricardo Vasconcelos da Silva, Patrícia Muniz de Medeiros
Abstract. Studies have identified the strong presence of sampling bias in ethnobiological research, which may seriously compromise study results. However, these studies were made in the context of Brazilian studies and global sampling evaluations are still needed. The present study adopted a global scale and was based on ethnobotanical surveys of medicinal plants in open fairs and markets. We aimed to assess sample quality and to identify the factors that interfere with it. Among the factors we investigated were how the (a) year of publication, (b) CiteScore, (c) presence of a clear research question, (d) presentation of hypotheses, and (e) the use of ethnobotanical indices influences the presence of sampling bias. The main source of bias verified in the studies was the absence of information about the sample and the population. None of the variables tested interfered with the level of bias of the studies. Efforts are needed to correct quantitative studies regarding sampling procedures, and the peer-review exercise in scientific journals should be attentive to sampling bias.
{"title":"Sampling Bias in Ethnobotanical Studies on Medicinal Plants Conducted in Local Markets","authors":"Jonathan Garcia Silva, Roberta de Almeida Caetano, Rafael Ricardo Vasconcelos da Silva, Patrícia Muniz de Medeiros","doi":"10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.20","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.20","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Studies have identified the strong presence of sampling bias in ethnobiological research, which may seriously compromise study results. However, these studies were made in the context of Brazilian studies and global sampling evaluations are still needed. The present study adopted a global scale and was based on ethnobotanical surveys of medicinal plants in open fairs and markets. We aimed to assess sample quality and to identify the factors that interfere with it. Among the factors we investigated were how the (a) year of publication, (b) CiteScore, (c) presence of a clear research question, (d) presentation of hypotheses, and (e) the use of ethnobotanical indices influences the presence of sampling bias. The main source of bias verified in the studies was the absence of information about the sample and the population. None of the variables tested interfered with the level of bias of the studies. Efforts are needed to correct quantitative studies regarding sampling procedures, and the peer-review exercise in scientific journals should be attentive to sampling bias.","PeriodicalId":54838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology","volume":"42 1","pages":"20 - 30"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43030814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-01DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.31
L. Trejo, María de Lourdes Luz Velázquez, Mariana Vallejo, A. Montoya
Abstract. Pulque is a product made from the fermentation of the sap (aguamiel) of certain agaves and its consumption has been recorded since pre-Hispanic times. The effort to recognize the landraces of the Agave genus used to produce pulque and the study of its traditional knowledge remain limited. Studies regarding this topic have centered on farmers (experts) with the biggest production capacity. This work analyzes in different ways the knowledge that experts and non-experts (general population) have regarding the usage and management of agave landraces in Nanacamilpa, Tlaxcala, one of the most iconic pulque production locations in Mexico. Two-hundred and twenty-two semi-structured interviews were carried out with non-experts and 22 with experts. The non-experts recognized 12 agave landraces, whilst experts recognized eight landraces that are mainly used to obtain aguamiel. The most important landrace that they identified was the Agave salmiana, due to the sweetness of its aguamiel and flexibility of its leaves. In total, 92 uses of agave landraces were recorded: 64 direct uses and 28 derivative uses. The oldest participants know most of its uses, but the younger participants recorded 48 uses, which indicates that agaves are a valuable resource for new generations. Experts mentioned uses directly related to the production of plants, aguamiel, and pulque, whilst non-experts included more categories of use. The agaves used for the production of pulque are of great importance for local biodiversity, culture, and economy.
{"title":"Differentiating Knowledge of Agave Landraces, Uses, and Management in Nanacamilpa, Tlaxcala","authors":"L. Trejo, María de Lourdes Luz Velázquez, Mariana Vallejo, A. Montoya","doi":"10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.31","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.31","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Pulque is a product made from the fermentation of the sap (aguamiel) of certain agaves and its consumption has been recorded since pre-Hispanic times. The effort to recognize the landraces of the Agave genus used to produce pulque and the study of its traditional knowledge remain limited. Studies regarding this topic have centered on farmers (experts) with the biggest production capacity. This work analyzes in different ways the knowledge that experts and non-experts (general population) have regarding the usage and management of agave landraces in Nanacamilpa, Tlaxcala, one of the most iconic pulque production locations in Mexico. Two-hundred and twenty-two semi-structured interviews were carried out with non-experts and 22 with experts. The non-experts recognized 12 agave landraces, whilst experts recognized eight landraces that are mainly used to obtain aguamiel. The most important landrace that they identified was the Agave salmiana, due to the sweetness of its aguamiel and flexibility of its leaves. In total, 92 uses of agave landraces were recorded: 64 direct uses and 28 derivative uses. The oldest participants know most of its uses, but the younger participants recorded 48 uses, which indicates that agaves are a valuable resource for new generations. Experts mentioned uses directly related to the production of plants, aguamiel, and pulque, whilst non-experts included more categories of use. The agaves used for the production of pulque are of great importance for local biodiversity, culture, and economy.","PeriodicalId":54838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology","volume":"42 1","pages":"31 - 50"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48718454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-01DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.3
Tatiana Nomokonova, R. Losey, Stella E. Razdymakha, Stanislav Okotetto, A. V. Plekhanov, A. V. Gusev
Abstract. Indigenous communities living in the Iamal-Nenets region of the Arctic Siberia incorporate reindeer antlers into various aspects of their lives, at times in remarkable ways. This is especially the case for Nenets herding families, who closely interact with domestic reindeer on a daily basis. Antlers for Nenets are not just raw materials for producing tools, but rather a part of their perceptions of time, clothing designs, gendered skills and spaces, and physical manifestations of pride. This article links current Nenets entanglements with antler to similar material practices on the Iamal Peninsula during the Iron Age. To accomplish this, we incorporate multi-generational Nenets knowledge into the analysis of modified and unmodified antler recovered during excavations of Iarte VI, an Iron Age archaeological site located on the tundra of the Iamal Peninsula. Our approach is founded upon direct engagement and collaboration with Nenets families from the Iamal region. Together, we focus on identification of reindeer age and sex through visual assessment of antler objects from Iarte VI. We also explore antler shapes and growth cycles, working qualities, and placement within and outside dwelling areas at the site. This collaborative approach sheds light on site seasonality, the ages and genders of the inhabitants of Iarte VI, and several longstanding continuities in antler practices.
{"title":"Entangled with Antlers on the Iamal Peninsula of Arctic Siberia","authors":"Tatiana Nomokonova, R. Losey, Stella E. Razdymakha, Stanislav Okotetto, A. V. Plekhanov, A. V. Gusev","doi":"10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.3","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Indigenous communities living in the Iamal-Nenets region of the Arctic Siberia incorporate reindeer antlers into various aspects of their lives, at times in remarkable ways. This is especially the case for Nenets herding families, who closely interact with domestic reindeer on a daily basis. Antlers for Nenets are not just raw materials for producing tools, but rather a part of their perceptions of time, clothing designs, gendered skills and spaces, and physical manifestations of pride. This article links current Nenets entanglements with antler to similar material practices on the Iamal Peninsula during the Iron Age. To accomplish this, we incorporate multi-generational Nenets knowledge into the analysis of modified and unmodified antler recovered during excavations of Iarte VI, an Iron Age archaeological site located on the tundra of the Iamal Peninsula. Our approach is founded upon direct engagement and collaboration with Nenets families from the Iamal region. Together, we focus on identification of reindeer age and sex through visual assessment of antler objects from Iarte VI. We also explore antler shapes and growth cycles, working qualities, and placement within and outside dwelling areas at the site. This collaborative approach sheds light on site seasonality, the ages and genders of the inhabitants of Iarte VI, and several longstanding continuities in antler practices.","PeriodicalId":54838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology","volume":"42 1","pages":"3 - 19"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41568271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-01DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.51
J. Welch
Abstract. In many countries, research authorizations must be obtained before field studies begin, even though it may be difficult to anticipate community understandings of ethnobiological knowledge ownership, possession, and use that should be reflected in informed consent protocols, study methods, and publishing decisions. In this article, I draw broadly on my experience conducting ethnobiological and other kinds of research involving biodiversity in five A'uwẽ (Xavante) communities in Central Brazil since 2004 to discuss the social contours of ethnobiological knowledge in their society. My goal is to provide an ethnographic account of several illustrative configurations of knowledge possession, sharing, and secrecy that shape who rightfully has access to what kinds of information and, therefore, bear upon culturally appropriate and collaboratively formulated data collection and informed consent practices. Most specialized A'uwẽ ethnobiological knowledge is considered secret and therefore not appropriate for scientific research and publication. I conclude with a discussion of how Indigenous sovereignty issues may collide with external ethics requirements while being strengthened by community action.
{"title":"Challenges and Opportunities for Ethical Collaborative Research: Social Contours of A'uwẽ (Xavante) Ethnobiological Knowledge","authors":"J. Welch","doi":"10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.51","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.51","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. In many countries, research authorizations must be obtained before field studies begin, even though it may be difficult to anticipate community understandings of ethnobiological knowledge ownership, possession, and use that should be reflected in informed consent protocols, study methods, and publishing decisions. In this article, I draw broadly on my experience conducting ethnobiological and other kinds of research involving biodiversity in five A'uwẽ (Xavante) communities in Central Brazil since 2004 to discuss the social contours of ethnobiological knowledge in their society. My goal is to provide an ethnographic account of several illustrative configurations of knowledge possession, sharing, and secrecy that shape who rightfully has access to what kinds of information and, therefore, bear upon culturally appropriate and collaboratively formulated data collection and informed consent practices. Most specialized A'uwẽ ethnobiological knowledge is considered secret and therefore not appropriate for scientific research and publication. I conclude with a discussion of how Indigenous sovereignty issues may collide with external ethics requirements while being strengthened by community action.","PeriodicalId":54838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology","volume":"42 1","pages":"51 - 68"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44104946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-01DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.86
E. Zent, S. Zent
Abstract. This essay is an impassioned epitaph conveying the teachings of Jotï wise persons from the Venezuelan Amazon who passed away recently. It honors their wish to spread the philosophy of jkyo jkwainï, which holds that loving-caring for everyone and everything around us is an essential human trait that holds the key to sustaining all life. If this innate faculty is nurtured, it gives people the power to maintain or even enhance the living world; if suppressed, its absence will inevitably lead to the degeneration and demise of the world. Their essential message urges everyone to use the dynamism of love already present within us to reverse the dominant trend of exploiting nature selfishly. An environmental ethic of loving-caring can actually be found in disparate cultural traditions, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. (Re)establishing loving-caring as a central guiding principle for organizing human ecological dynamics is already taking place in different urban and rural settings globally. Vital connections between ancient eco-philosophies and contemporary ecosocial movements are highlighted in order to show that real possibilities exist for building ecotopias moving forward. These arguments are attuned to postulates for biocultural conservation endorsed by ethnobiologists, Indigenous rights advocates, and environmental activists. Case studies are mentioned to stress the common ground shared by a diverse assortment of stakeholders.
{"title":"Love Sustains Life: Jkyo jkwainï and Allied Strategies in Caring for the Earth","authors":"E. Zent, S. Zent","doi":"10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.86","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.86","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. This essay is an impassioned epitaph conveying the teachings of Jotï wise persons from the Venezuelan Amazon who passed away recently. It honors their wish to spread the philosophy of jkyo jkwainï, which holds that loving-caring for everyone and everything around us is an essential human trait that holds the key to sustaining all life. If this innate faculty is nurtured, it gives people the power to maintain or even enhance the living world; if suppressed, its absence will inevitably lead to the degeneration and demise of the world. Their essential message urges everyone to use the dynamism of love already present within us to reverse the dominant trend of exploiting nature selfishly. An environmental ethic of loving-caring can actually be found in disparate cultural traditions, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. (Re)establishing loving-caring as a central guiding principle for organizing human ecological dynamics is already taking place in different urban and rural settings globally. Vital connections between ancient eco-philosophies and contemporary ecosocial movements are highlighted in order to show that real possibilities exist for building ecotopias moving forward. These arguments are attuned to postulates for biocultural conservation endorsed by ethnobiologists, Indigenous rights advocates, and environmental activists. Case studies are mentioned to stress the common ground shared by a diverse assortment of stakeholders.","PeriodicalId":54838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology","volume":"42 1","pages":"86 - 104"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47697977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-01DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.69
M. Welker, Joanne E. Hughes, S. McClure
Abstract. Anthropological studies of cattle management have frequently used nomadic open-range African pastoralists as models even when examining more sedentary agro-pastoralists relying upon combinations of crops and livestock that prevent or inhibit mobility. The relatively limited number of datasets on more sedentary agro-pastoralists makes it difficult to assess the suitability of this analogy when modeling and understanding herd dynamics in sedentary or semi-sedentary societies like those in the European Neolithic or pre-industrial colonies in North America. Census data on seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French colonists in eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. reveal that household herds average fewer than eight individuals. Herds this small would have been dangerously close to collapse if animals were slaughtered and would not have had sufficient numbers to grow quickly. Using effective population size, a measure from wildlife biology, to assess the demographic and genetic health of wildlife populations, we demonstrate that Acadian herders were able to overcome the challenges of their small herds by participating in village or inter-village herd networks. Furthermore, we demonstrate that differences in herd management existed across the Acadian colonies and correspond, in part, to local involvement in cod fishing. We suggest this case study may provide a useful model for understanding prehistoric sedentary agropastoralism and the role of cooperation in prehistoric animal management decisions.
{"title":"Cooperation and Cattle Herding in Eighteenth Century Acadia: Implications for Archaeological Studies of Agropastoralism","authors":"M. Welker, Joanne E. Hughes, S. McClure","doi":"10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.69","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.69","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Anthropological studies of cattle management have frequently used nomadic open-range African pastoralists as models even when examining more sedentary agro-pastoralists relying upon combinations of crops and livestock that prevent or inhibit mobility. The relatively limited number of datasets on more sedentary agro-pastoralists makes it difficult to assess the suitability of this analogy when modeling and understanding herd dynamics in sedentary or semi-sedentary societies like those in the European Neolithic or pre-industrial colonies in North America. Census data on seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French colonists in eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. reveal that household herds average fewer than eight individuals. Herds this small would have been dangerously close to collapse if animals were slaughtered and would not have had sufficient numbers to grow quickly. Using effective population size, a measure from wildlife biology, to assess the demographic and genetic health of wildlife populations, we demonstrate that Acadian herders were able to overcome the challenges of their small herds by participating in village or inter-village herd networks. Furthermore, we demonstrate that differences in herd management existed across the Acadian colonies and correspond, in part, to local involvement in cod fishing. We suggest this case study may provide a useful model for understanding prehistoric sedentary agropastoralism and the role of cooperation in prehistoric animal management decisions.","PeriodicalId":54838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology","volume":"42 1","pages":"69 - 85"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46406391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-01DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-41.4.447
Ceren Kazancı, S. Oruç, M. Mosulishvili, Jeffrey Wall
Abstract. Understanding plant significance across cultures and borders is a driving goal in ethnobotany. Often, empirical studies aim to highlight and explain variation in plant knowledge and uses between communities across national, geographic, and cultural boundaries. However, such studies underinvestigate commonality of values and practices between communities. In this cross-border study of highland pastoral communities in both Caucasian Georgia and Turkey, we propose and implement an approach that synthesizes Cultural Importance (CI) and Identified Cultural Importance (ICI) indices. We label this method a “Unified Cultural Keystone Species (UCKS)” approach. We demonstrate that such an approach is uniquely capable of perceiving shared Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and practices across cultures and borders. Our results identify three primary Cultural Keystone Species (CKS) that cut across cultural and political boundaries in the Western Lesser Caucasus. We argue that these findings allow for a more comprehensive understanding of ethnobotanical knowledge and practices in the study area. This, in turn, can enhance conservation and restoration strategies in the study region and beyond by highlighting the breadth of biocultural knowledge and value held within shared traditions and landscapes. By so doing, we show a way to heighten scientific perceptions of the importance of cultural and linguistic connections to environmental well-being in specific places.
{"title":"Cultural Keystone Species without Boundaries: A Case Study on Wild Woody Plants of Transhumant People around the Georgia-Turkey Border (Western Lesser Caucasus)","authors":"Ceren Kazancı, S. Oruç, M. Mosulishvili, Jeffrey Wall","doi":"10.2993/0278-0771-41.4.447","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-41.4.447","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Understanding plant significance across cultures and borders is a driving goal in ethnobotany. Often, empirical studies aim to highlight and explain variation in plant knowledge and uses between communities across national, geographic, and cultural boundaries. However, such studies underinvestigate commonality of values and practices between communities. In this cross-border study of highland pastoral communities in both Caucasian Georgia and Turkey, we propose and implement an approach that synthesizes Cultural Importance (CI) and Identified Cultural Importance (ICI) indices. We label this method a “Unified Cultural Keystone Species (UCKS)” approach. We demonstrate that such an approach is uniquely capable of perceiving shared Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and practices across cultures and borders. Our results identify three primary Cultural Keystone Species (CKS) that cut across cultural and political boundaries in the Western Lesser Caucasus. We argue that these findings allow for a more comprehensive understanding of ethnobotanical knowledge and practices in the study area. This, in turn, can enhance conservation and restoration strategies in the study region and beyond by highlighting the breadth of biocultural knowledge and value held within shared traditions and landscapes. By so doing, we show a way to heighten scientific perceptions of the importance of cultural and linguistic connections to environmental well-being in specific places.","PeriodicalId":54838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology","volume":"41 1","pages":"447 - 464"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42332766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-01DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-41.4.499
Sarah Cogos, L. Östlund, Samuel Roturier
Abstract. In Sweden, fire management is driven by nature conservation objectives through both regeneration burning, used as a soil preparation method in forestry, and conservation burning in protected forests, aiming to reintroduce fire as an ecological process necessary for the preservation of biodiversity. The burning strategy affects Indigenous Sami reindeer herders who use commercial and protected forestlands as pastures for their reindeer. Fire can have ambivalent effects on reindeer pasture depending on where it occurs. Yet, Sami herders are currently not included in the planning process of burning but for a consultation by forest owners occurring late in the process. In this article, we interpret fire management as a system of fire domestication, understood as continuous interactions between humans and fire. To describe the modalities of contemporary fire domestication, our study draws on semi-structured interviews carried out with Sami reindeer herders, forestry planners, conservation managers, and burning practitioners in different localities of the northernmost counties of Västerbotten and Norrbotten. We show how the domestication of fire involves a dual negotiation process: a negotiation with fire during the burning process, and a negotiation about fire between Sami herders and forest managers. Burning practitioners conceive fire as an agent rather than a tool, able to produce unique effects in forests and increase their naturalness, which they must steer in order to reach desired ecological results. Through the negotiation of the use of fire, fire domestication stimulates new interactions between Sami herders and forest managers, and constitutes a possible common ground from which new forms of collaboration could emerge. Our study reaffirms the hybrid nature of fire, both natural and cultural, resulting from negotiations with and between the human actors of the domestication system.
{"title":"Negotiating (with) Fire: Contemporary Fire Domestication in Swedish Sápmi","authors":"Sarah Cogos, L. Östlund, Samuel Roturier","doi":"10.2993/0278-0771-41.4.499","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-41.4.499","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. In Sweden, fire management is driven by nature conservation objectives through both regeneration burning, used as a soil preparation method in forestry, and conservation burning in protected forests, aiming to reintroduce fire as an ecological process necessary for the preservation of biodiversity. The burning strategy affects Indigenous Sami reindeer herders who use commercial and protected forestlands as pastures for their reindeer. Fire can have ambivalent effects on reindeer pasture depending on where it occurs. Yet, Sami herders are currently not included in the planning process of burning but for a consultation by forest owners occurring late in the process. In this article, we interpret fire management as a system of fire domestication, understood as continuous interactions between humans and fire. To describe the modalities of contemporary fire domestication, our study draws on semi-structured interviews carried out with Sami reindeer herders, forestry planners, conservation managers, and burning practitioners in different localities of the northernmost counties of Västerbotten and Norrbotten. We show how the domestication of fire involves a dual negotiation process: a negotiation with fire during the burning process, and a negotiation about fire between Sami herders and forest managers. Burning practitioners conceive fire as an agent rather than a tool, able to produce unique effects in forests and increase their naturalness, which they must steer in order to reach desired ecological results. Through the negotiation of the use of fire, fire domestication stimulates new interactions between Sami herders and forest managers, and constitutes a possible common ground from which new forms of collaboration could emerge. Our study reaffirms the hybrid nature of fire, both natural and cultural, resulting from negotiations with and between the human actors of the domestication system.","PeriodicalId":54838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology","volume":"41 1","pages":"499 - 516"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42430932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-01DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-41.4.465
Alondra Flores-Silva, R. Cuevas-Guzmán, G. Baptista, M. Olvera‐Vargas, R. Mariaca-Méndez
Abstract. The ability to name plants is part of one's theoretical botanical knowledge, which is neither static nor presented equally among all members of a cultural group. This article analyzes the intracultural variation of knowledge in the cultural domain of edible plant species among a rural population of western Mexico. We evaluate individuals' capacity to name plants, the salience of each plant, children's sources of this knowledge, and the socioeconomic factors that influence the amount of knowledge held. Freelists on local edible plant species were generated from 107 participants, including 37 children of middle childhood (MC), 27 preteens (PT), and 43 adults (A). A total of 102 species were mentioned across the lists for all three age groups. While each age and gender group presented variation in the species mentioned, a high level of overlap was found among the salient species. Group A mentioned twice the number of wild species as the PT and MC groups. Vertical knowledge transmission was more important for the children, and their ability to name the species differed significantly according to age, gender, and mother's occupation. Children with farmer-housewife mothers listed five more species on average than those with mothers in other occupational groups. The children listed fewer plants than adults, indicating differences between age groups and indicating the need for future studies to evaluate the factors that influence the transmission of knowledge amidst socioenvironmental changes.
{"title":"Dynamic Edible Plant Theoretical Knowledge in a Changing Western Mexican Rural Community","authors":"Alondra Flores-Silva, R. Cuevas-Guzmán, G. Baptista, M. Olvera‐Vargas, R. Mariaca-Méndez","doi":"10.2993/0278-0771-41.4.465","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-41.4.465","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The ability to name plants is part of one's theoretical botanical knowledge, which is neither static nor presented equally among all members of a cultural group. This article analyzes the intracultural variation of knowledge in the cultural domain of edible plant species among a rural population of western Mexico. We evaluate individuals' capacity to name plants, the salience of each plant, children's sources of this knowledge, and the socioeconomic factors that influence the amount of knowledge held. Freelists on local edible plant species were generated from 107 participants, including 37 children of middle childhood (MC), 27 preteens (PT), and 43 adults (A). A total of 102 species were mentioned across the lists for all three age groups. While each age and gender group presented variation in the species mentioned, a high level of overlap was found among the salient species. Group A mentioned twice the number of wild species as the PT and MC groups. Vertical knowledge transmission was more important for the children, and their ability to name the species differed significantly according to age, gender, and mother's occupation. Children with farmer-housewife mothers listed five more species on average than those with mothers in other occupational groups. The children listed fewer plants than adults, indicating differences between age groups and indicating the need for future studies to evaluate the factors that influence the transmission of knowledge amidst socioenvironmental changes.","PeriodicalId":54838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology","volume":"41 1","pages":"465 - 480"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42803188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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