Native Americans and the Environment

Native Americans and the Environment

Indigenous individuals who have been living for generations in a particular environment tend to establish an intimate relationship with it, thus becoming familiar with it’s linguistically and agriculture wise.  Although some indigenous were traditionally hunters and gatherers especially from the Amazon basis, many groups still practiced agriculture. This thesis shows how Native Americans utilized and interacted with their respective environments. 

Global research among indigenous individuals shows that they have in-depth information about natural knowledge, in terms of the types of plants thus showing how they knew and interacted with their environment. It’s only in the North of America that individuals live entirely as hunters and gatherers while thus depended on the ecosystem Indians of the south of the Kennebec River in Mine raised crops because of the ability to raise crops affected the way the village conducted food gathering activities (Cronon, 1983).  The southern Indians engaged in hunting and fishing as the northerners, they concentrated so much in raising crops something that can be recognized with the names they gave their months. The northern Indians identified the lunar months in respect of seasonal changes in animal populations, such as dolphin migration, egg-laying among others. In Momaday poem, a first American views his land in 1976, he describes the economic organizations of the native Americans on how they interacted with nature by stating that “the man is permanently a predator ……, he haunts to survive but he haunts because he can survive “(pg., 572). 

Environmental degradation is contributed by recklessness of human beings, the Natives too contributed to extinct of animals due to excessive hunting which was contributed by using deadly weapons which were efficient thus having the ability to destroy the environment. Any concept of nature in American society revolves around the Native American world view, the American Indian has a unique investment in the American landscape. Native America's relationship with the environment is also evident through arts and crafts, religious ceremonies songs parables which can be found through the oral tradition (Momaday, 1976). However, several drastic changes have affected their world a good a change has made their leaders voiced their environmental concerns since it has caused the disappearance of animals and the changes in the landscape. The environmental degradation has resulted in many Native Americans to act upon its conservation, they are putting every effort to conserve the environment. They have organized different Amazonian societies that aren’t tied to any particular group and use the environmental knowledge they have to manage the poor environment to sustain the world's population. This is all due to their love for the environment, and how they have benefited much from the environment. 

The Native Americans are regarded as individuals of ecology and closeness to learn and respect the living things and Mother Nature. Their relationship with the environment can be explained by the art and crafts, the songs they composed which were passed down to different generations through oral tradition. They practiced hunting and gathering, fishing among other economic practices, however of late unavoidable changes such as mining has led to environmental degradation. On the other hand, they have been on the forefront to voice about environmental conservation through Amazonian parties and campaigns. 

References

Cronon William (1983): changes in the land: seasons of wants and plenty. Vancouver press-gang  Momaday Scott (1976): A First American Views His Land. National Geographic magazine, VOL150