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Bridging Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Ecosystem Science Compiled by Ronald L. Trosper, College of Ecosystem Science and Management, North Arizona University, Arizona. 1999 This volume is a result of the conference, supported by the Pew Scholars Program in Conservation and Environment. It attempts to bridge the chasm between modern and traditional ecological knowledge. Sixteen papers on Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) are grouped under three categories: (a) Theories about Bridging, (b) Examples and (c) Processes for Building Bridges. Numerous references at the end of each paper add to the value of the book. The section on theories stresses that people possessing TEK and those possessing scientific knowledge should come together and enter into a congenial relationship with respect to a specific issue. Indigenous practices, if critically examined for their scientific validity could prove to be a rich source of information to the contemporary ecologists. Trosper observes, "TEK may present a solution to controversies over natural resource use, animal rights, and conservation because of its ethical and moral overtones. TEK has profound implications for human behaviour and obligations towards other forms of life that are often unrecognised in western science. These implications may be useful in creating ethical standards for scientists" (1999: 36). A central theme that emerges from the six case studies is that indigenous people consider the resources not just as a marketable commodity, but as a source to meet their livelihood and spiritual needs. Their way of life is based on the idea of using and managing a resource so that it can be amply available for future generations. Authors emphasise that knowledge of both aboriginals and ecologists must be integrated towards sustainable resource management. The editor finally describes the bi-directional nature of the bridge between TEK and ecology and spells out how the indigenous ‘world views can help the global community achieve a new environmental society’. Select papers of The Agri-Horticultural Society of the Punjab: From its commencement to 1862 including papers by Sir McLeod, Clarke, Abbot Cope, Edgeworth, James Lowther and Tremenhere. 1868 Liet. Col G B Tremenhere in his paper, General remarks on Agriculture, is mainly concerned about how can our efforts be best directed to increase the yield of the soil and variety of crops. It is desirable to inculcate the spirit of experimentation in cultivators of land. Prizes for the highest produce per acre might perhaps be useful in stimulating the cultivators to improve. To ensure that this happens, he writes:
"Officers engaged in the administration of the country in every district, should be requested to assist, by their influence any experiments that may be made and that a certain sum be placed annually at their disposal for the purpose of remunerating those cultivators, who may incur loss by the adoption of a new method or by any trials they may have advised to make". He also advocated a survey of practices followed by farmers. Some very interesting questions of the survey were: (1) Do cultivators differ in their practice in the same part of the country? Or is one uniform system pursued? (2) Is any crop grown for the purpose of being ploughed into the soil in a green state, to improve it? (3) Are there any differences observable in the degree of success of farmers, and to what factors is it attributable? These questions are valid even today and need to be answered to find a sustainable solution to the problems facing Indian agriculture. Some survey findings mentioned in his paper are quite revealing. Food Corporation of India and Civil Supplies Corporation of Northern States would do well to pay attention to a practice in which worm eaten wheat is considered good manure. This way they can utilise such wheat lying in their godowns. He further writes that twigs of the indigo plant after coming out of the vats are, placed in the watercourse in the Mozufurgarh district. The water passing over them extracts any remaining properties and conveys the same to the young wheat, which is watered and strengthened. Major J Clarke, then Deputy Commissioner of Sekhoopura has written about agricultural products of district Jhung. It says: "In the garden adjoining the then ‘kucheree’ had cabbages in March as large and firm as a heart, as the best that I ever saw in England. The solid hearted lettuce grew there also and was superior to the best I have ever seen in England both in crispness and colour: peas, celery and tomatoes were also of excellent quality". Have we started learning from the farmers? Maybe, we will, some day. There still are plant breeders like Jagdish Prasad Parikh (See page 15 ) who are developing new varieties without any institutional support. |
