A Colonial Legacy in Miskito Turtle Knowledge (Nicaragua)

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Author:

Christopher Jordan, Michigan State University

Subject:

Social Sciences

Institution Name:

Latin America Learning

Collection:

Michigan State University

Grade Level:

Post-secondary

Abstract:

Over the past several decades the increasing prevalence of natural resource crises has led many ecologists to seek alternatives to Western resource use paradigms. Primary amongst these alternatives are systems guided by indigenous knowledge (IK). It is commonly presumed that these systems represent institutions uncorrupted by the exploitative hand of Western culture and state domination and therefore hold the key to rectifying the unsustainable behaviors of Western societies. Yet this ignores the disruption of IK and associated resource regimes perpetrated by colonial powers. This historical oversight, in turn, leaves corrupted indigenous systems open to criticism and further subordination if, upon government sanctioning and implementations, they fail to function as resource management panaceas and results in Western patterns of overexploitation. It is thus important to historicize IK to explore how it has been altered by colonization. Only through an understanding of these changes can practitioners, indigenous leaders, and government officials implement IK in contemporary resource use systems in a just and responsible manner that does not put indigenous rights at risk. In this work, I present a historical narrative documenting the colonization of traditional Miskito knowledge of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and its harvest. I proceed to draw a historical analysis comparing this history with the broader Western human-animal relations literature, as well as key informant interviews with Miskito green turtle fisherman, to display how Miskito IK has been altered by colonial powers and the implications this has for current attempts to regulate the turtle fishery.

Course Type:

Learning Module

Languages:

English

Material Type:

Audio Lectures, Lecture Notes, Video Lectures

Media Format:

Audio, Downloadable docs, Video

Conditions of Use:

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0