Biodiversity and Native America

Front Cover
Paul E. Minnis, Wayne J. Elisens
University of Oklahoma Press, Aug 1, 2001 - Nature - 310 pages

Exploring the relationship between Native Americans and the natural world, Biodiversity and Native America questions the widespread view that indigenous peoples had minimal ecological impact in North America. Introducing a variety of perspectives - ethnopharmacological, ethnographic, archaeological, and biological - this volume shows that Native Americans were active managers of natural ecological systems. The book covers groups from the sophisticated agriculturalists of the Mississippi River drainage region to the low-density hunter-gatherers of arid western North America.

This book allows readers to develop accurate restoration, management, and conservation models through a thorough knowledge of native peoples’ ecological history and dynamics. It also illustrates how indigenous peoples affected environmental patterns and processes, improving crop diversity and agricultural patterns.

From inside the book

 

Selected pages

Contents

List of Illustrations ix
3
Native American Management and Conservation
29
Relationships between Mexican Ethnobotanical
44
Ethnopharmacology and the Search
74
Native Knowledge of Biodiversity
99
Traditional Resource Management
133
A Rarámuri Cognitive Model of Biodiversity
180
A Case Study
207
Levels of Native Biodiversity in Eastern North America
223
Ethnohistory of Aboriginal Landscapes in
245
List of Contributors
301
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Biodiversity and Native America
Paul E. Minnis,Wayne J. Elisens
Limited preview - 2000

Common terms and phrases

aboriginal activities Agave agricultural Aguaruna American Indians Anthropological Arber archaeological areas Balsamorhiza sagittata Bartram Basin berries biodiversity Biological Diversity British Columbia California collecting Conservation crops cultivated cultural Death Valley disturbance domesticated eastern North America ecological ecosystem edited environment environmental Ethnobiology ethnobotanical etoposide example fields fire fish forage Fowler fruits garden genetic Gremillion 1984 groups habitats human hunting important indigenous interactions Interior Plateau iwigara Journal of Ethnobiology knowledge land landscape language Lefler 1967 Holm lithic mulch maize maygrass medicinal plants Mexican Mexico City Nabhan Native American Native North Americans natural Nevada Nlaka'pamux North America Northern Paiute O'odham patches pine Pinus plant resources plant species plants and animals podophyllotoxin population practices prehistoric productivity pulque Rarámuri region relationship Rio del Oso root season Secwepemc seeds Sierra Madre Sonoran Desert Southern Tarahumara techniques Timbisha Shoshone traditional trees Turner University Press vegetation Washington Western wild Wilson

References to this book

About the author (2001)

Paul E. Minnis, Professor of Anthroplogy at the University of Oklahoma, is the editor of Ethnobotany: A Reader and coeditor of Biodiversity and Native America. Wayne J. Elisens, Professor of Botany and curator of the Bebb Herbarium at the University of Oklahoma, is coeditor of Biodiversity and Native America.

Bibliographic information

TitleBiodiversity and Native America
EditorsPaul E. Minnis, Wayne J. Elisens
Editionillustrated, revised
PublisherUniversity of Oklahoma Press, 2001
ISBN0806133457, 9780806133454
Length310 pages
Subjects ›  › 

History / Native American
Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection
Science / Life Sciences / Ecology
Social Science / Anthropology / General
Social Science / Ethnic Studies / Native American Studies
  
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