Cultural and Historical Issues

Aboriginal Overkill and Native Burning: Implications for Modern Ecosystem Management
Discusses the importance of American Indian burning techniques, and the supposed overkilling of certain game animals, for how scientists think about ecosystem stability. (Charles E. Kay, Archive: Department of Anthropology, SUNY Buffalo, 1994).

American Indians and the Natural World
A presentation of the Carnegie Museum's collections using the theme of the relationship of the various Native American nations to the natural world around them. So their gallery on the Tlingit includes a page on their relationship to trees, for example. (Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 1998).

Chief Seattle (1786 - 1866)
Includes the most authentic transcription of Chief Seattle's famous 1854 speech, considered "one of the greatest statements ever made concerning the relationship between a people and the earth." (Suquamish Tribe).

Chief Seattle's Reply
Chief Seattle's famous speech. However, this version came into existence around 1972 and bears little resemblance to Chief Seattle's original intentions when he gave his speech before the Governor of Washington Territory. (Archive: NAE).

Hopi Message to the United Nations
(Thomas Banyacya, December 10. Archive: Hopi Information Network, 1992).

Hopi Message to the United Nations
(Martin Gashweseoma, November 22. Archive: Hopi Information Network, 1993).

Inuuqatigiit: The Curriculum from the Inuit Perspective
A curriculum for Inuit children. The last part includes a section on the relationship of people to the environment. K-12 resource. As usual at this site, there's no context for the document. (1997).

Learning About Survival from Survivors: Mohawk Environmental Communicative Action
Examines two case-studies and illustrates that environmental justice requires indigenous people, who may have a different world-view, be involved in environmental decision-making. (Susan Ross, E Law: Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law, 1995).

People and Climactic Change on the Northern Great Plains
Starts with Native Americans and covers recent events such as the Dust Bowl. (Todd Kapler, Larry J. Zimmerman and Shesh Mathur, 1996).

Recent Historical Studies of the Ecological Indian
(Archive: Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment).

Sacred Buffalo People
Web site for the video, with quotes on the role and value of the buffalo in Plains cultures. (Red Eye Television, Video (VHS), 56 min. Lincoln, NE: Native American Broadcasting Consortium, 1992).

Stó:lo Culture—Ideas of Prehistory and Changing Cultural Relationships to the Land and Environment
(Brian Thom, Stó:lo Curriculum Consortium, 1996).

Symbolic Role of Animals in the Plains Indian Sun Dance
"The sun dance reflects relationships with nature that are characteristic of the Plains ethos, and includes symbolic representations of various animal species that once played vital roles in the lives of the people and are still endowed with sacredness." (Elizabeth A. Lawrence, Society and Animals: Social Scientific Studies of the Human Experience of Other Animals 1(1), 1993).

The Great Ecology Speech
Briefly describes the history and several versions of Chief Seattle's "ecology" speech. (Nancy Zussy, eJournal, 1996).

Walking with Nature: An Interview with Jewell Praying Wolf James and Kenneth Cooper
An Interview with two Lummi natural resource professionals about stereotypes, social justice and spiritual concerns for Native Americans as they manage their lands and resources. (Kari Berger, In Context 24:50. Context Institute, 1997[1990]).

Wilderness: A Western Concept Alien to Arctic Cultures
Conservation ethics among western and indigenous peoples differ. Although "conservation of nature in the Arctic is a common goal of both indigenous cultures and elements of Western culture…increased understanding is necessary if mutually acceptable conservation efforts are to succeed." (David R. Klein, Information North 20(3). Arctic Institute of North America, 1994).