ANTH 591 - Ethnobiology: Traditional Biological Knowledge in Contemporary Global Context

Section 4: Ecological Knowledge and Contemporary Issues

Unit 9: Contemporary Issues: Traditional Cultures and Resources Contemporary Issues: Traditional Cultures and Resources

Related Reading

The case of cacao cultivation among the Mopan Maya brings up interesting trade offs between global markets, sustainability and green marketing, conservation of biodiversity and the tension between externally driven economic factors and the sacred cultural meaning of chocolate in Mopan tradition. This case reminds us that simplistic analyses gloss over the ramifications of what appear to be straightforward and beneficial opportunities.

Sternberg, Michael K. 2002. The globalization of a ceremonial tree: the case of cacao (Theobroma cacao) among the Mopan Maya. Economic Botany 56(1): 58-65.

This paper brings together a number of themes in the last two sections of the course. It describes change and persistence in the swidden and garden agriculture of the Yanesha people in the period following the construction of a highway through their lands by the Peruvian government. New connections have introduced markets and changed settlement patterns, and even brought connection to the global media through the community's purchase of a satellite dish. This paper shows how the Yanesha agriculture remains substantially the same despite these changes, though there are new crops grown now and agroforestry fields have been added to the repertoire of local field types. Thought provoking and worthwhile.

Hamlin, Catherine C. and Jan Salick. 2003. Yanesha agriculture, in the Upper Peruvian Amazon: persistence and change fifteen years down the "Road". Economic Botany 57(2): 163-180.

The issues of intellectual property law and traditional indigenous knowledge, including artistic and creative works, are contentious and difficult. A website exploring this from an Australian Aboriginal perspective was created by the House of Aboriginality Project, Macquarie University, in Sydney, Australia, The URL is http://www.mq.edu.au/hoa/campaign.htm. The website authors discuss issues and abuses from an aboriginal perspective, seeking to raise awareness of the problems in the global context (yet another use of the networking potential of the internet, showing that global processes go in both directions).

Copyright Campaign. When Is A Crime Not A Crime

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