ANTH 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Physical Geography, Ethnobiology, Project Planning
Anthropology and Development
2 anthropological approaches to development
Development anthropology: the application of anthropological knowledge
and research methods to the practical aspects of shaping and
implementing development projects
1)
Anthropology of development: the field of study within anthropology
concerned with understanding the cultural conditions for proper
development or, alternatively, the negative impacts of development
projects
2)
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Related to environmental anthropology
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Sustainable Development
Forms of improvement that do not destroy non-renewable resources
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Financially supportable over time
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Economic growth has been costly
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Increased concern about the environment is generating new ideas about energy
generation
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Environmental Anthropology
Different cultures have difference approaches to nature
Can result in conflict over how land should be used
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The field that studies how different societies understand, interact with, and
make changes to the natural world
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Anthropologists explore the effects of environmental changes globally, within
societies small and large, and cross-culturally
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Environmental Justice
Political ecologists have observed that environmentally harmful activities fall
disproportionately on lower-income people and minority groups
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One solution is environmental justice: a social movement that addresses the
linkages between racial discrimination and injustice, social equity, and
environmental quality
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Do All People Conceive of Nature in the Same Ways?
No. People conceive of nature and their relation to it very differently, in ways
that are reflected in many other aspects of culture
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Compare the indigenous peoples of southern Mexico and Central America and
the Spanish who arrived in the 1500s
Reflects essentially different worldviews: part of nature vs. dominant over
nature
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Landscapes and Metaphors
Cultural landscapes: the culturally specific images, knowledge, and concepts of
the physical landscape that help shape human relations with that landscape
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Metaphors--connected to actions, thought, and organization
"Mother Nature"
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Metaphors offer insights into a community's cultural landscapes and symbolize a
society's environmental values.
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How is Non-Western Knowledge of Nature Similar To and Different from Science?
Environmental anthropologists recognize that all systems of knowledge about
nature are culturally based--even science
Most societies have scientific attitudes and practices
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Key difference: many cultures integrate science into spiritual beliefs, social
behaviours, and identities, rather than distinguishing it as a special domain of
knowledge (e.g., w/o the strict natural--supernatural boundary Western
scientists maintain)
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Ethnoscience: the study of how people classify things in the world, usually by
considering some range or set of meanings
Ethnobiology
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Traditional Ecological Knowledge
This refers to indigenous ecological knowledge and its relationship with resource
management strategies
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Indigenous people have been shown to possess knowledge of ecological
relations unknown to Western science
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Such knowledge often resides in local languages, songs, or specialized rituals--
places researchers might not think to look
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Connected to development
Engagement
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Context
Section 35 of Canada's Constitution Act recognizes and affirms Aboriginal and
Treaty rights
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Duty to Consult is based on Honor of the Crown and objectives of reconciliation
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November 1, 2007, the Government of Canada enacted an official plan to
consult First Nations, Metis, and Inuit
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Industry Obligations
Government delegates procedural aspects of its constitutional duty to consult to
industry through the Policy and Guidelines
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Industry is obligated to engage directly with Aboriginal groups in order to receive
certain government licenses and regulatory approvals
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Recording Culture
Aboriginal traditional knowledge (ATK) is an important part of project planning,
resource management, and environmental assessment (EA)
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ATK includes Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), Traditional Land Use (TLU)
and Socio-economics
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Data Collection and Considerations
Collection
Community Meetings and Discussions
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Map review
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Interviews
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Helicopter overflight
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Field Reconnaissance/Site Visits
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Follow-up reporting & meetings
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Mitigation
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Considerations
Confidentiality
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Place names
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Nature of the knowledge
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Interconnection of sites and information
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What Happens With the Information?
Contributes to the understanding of baseline environmental and socio-economic
conditions
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Informs:
Project planning and design
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The assessment of potential effects (both positive and negative)
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Strategies to avoid, reduce or mitigate potential adverse effects on
Traditional Land and Resource Use and Aboriginal Socio-economics
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Becomes part of the record of consultation
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Challenges, Benefits, and Other Factors
Challenge include:
Differing World Views
Having to place ATK within western science frameworks
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Capacity and resources
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Timeframes
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Benefits include:
For Aboriginal Groups--environmental stewardship, funding, IBAs, land
claims, etc.
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For industry--regulatory requirement, relationships, etc.
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Other factors:
Political agendas
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Media (including social media) provides a venue to: promote political
agendas, share multiple perspectives
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Canadian Example
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Wet'suwet'en First Nation-Nis Ts'edilh ("Moving Forward") July 2015
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http://wetsuwetenfirstnation.ca/
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXT2hRAGvLI
This film portrays some of the many views about LNG (liquefied natural
gas) development through voices of those impacted and involved. LNG is a
hot topic and while it presents opportunities, it also raises concerns from
First Nation citizens at all development streams from extraction, pipeline to
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Environmen
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Week 13, Lecture 22
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Document Summary
Development anthropology: the application of anthropological knowledge and research methods to the practical aspects of shaping and implementing development projects. Anthropology of development: the field of study within anthropology concerned with understanding the cultural conditions for proper development or, alternatively, the negative impacts of development projects. Forms of improvement that do not destroy non-renewable resources. Increased concern about the environment is generating new ideas about energy generation. Can result in conflict over how land should be used. The field that studies how different societies understand, interact with, and make changes to the natural world. Anthropologists explore the effects of environmental changes globally, within societies small and large, and cross-culturally. Political ecologists have observed that environmentally harmful activities fall disproportionately on lower-income people and minority groups. One solution is environmental justice: a social movement that addresses the linkages between racial discrimination and injustice, social equity, and environmental quality environmental quality.
