Rog to Nate and Erin
NATE:
I'm sure not all indigenous peoples live in harmony with their surroundings.
It would be a gross generalization to say all indigenous people do.
ROG:
Jared Diamond has a chapter called *The Golden Age That Never Was* in his
book "The 3rd Chimpanzee". In it he highlights one HG society after another
that hunted their land to the extinction of large prey. He also gives
details on numerous HG and Agricultural societies that drove the land to
absolute annihilation (taking the society down with it). However, he goes on
to state that he thinks that the majority of destructive practices occur with
cultures that newly colonize an environment. If they are there long enough
(meaning the society and environment both survive it), they eventually tend
to reach a sustainable equilibrium.
>Please support the assertion that indigenous people have a clearer idea
about how
>to manage the forest and/or are less clouded by fragmentation.
N:
They live and interact from within their invironment. Their knowledge of
their surroundings is not based on information on a piece of paper or
external studies; it is recieved directly (or as directly as one can get) by
interaction. They are closer to the reality of their surroundings by living
as a part of it, whereas a government forest management is only partially in
contact with the forest, they are an external factor in it. Data recorded
about reality is much farther from reality; it is more fragmented. This, to
me, is blatantly obvious.
R:
I would agree that this would lead to certain types of knowledge and
understanding. However, there are strong arguments that could be made for
the scientific method. If MY forest was dieing I would go to an ecologist
before I went to a local hunter gatherer. Better yet, why not go to a
scientifically trained indigenous person?
N:
Do I sense a condescending tone?
R:
I am bad. Very very bad.
Rog
PS -- I agree their are innate differences between the ways men and women
think. Together we get the total package.
PPS -- Does the recent Its 7:10 email prove that Erin is indeed a woman?
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