Tending The Wild: Native American Knowledge and The Management of California's Natural Resources

2006·1.5 MB·English

by  Jan Timbrook

— —
Madrono, Vol. 53, No. 3, pp. 299-300, 2006
REVIEWS
Tendingthe Wild: NativeAmerican Knowledgeand The book presents an enormous quantity of
theManagementofCalifornia'sNaturalResources. evidence derived from widely varied sources.
By M. Kat Anderson. 2005. University of Thorough examination of the historical, ethno-
California Press, Berkeley. 555 pp. $50.00 (cloth). graphic and ecological literature provides in-
ISBN0-520-23856-7. $19.95 (paper). ISBN0-520- formation that is fairly compeUing in itself, but
24851-1. that's only one part ofit. Also cited are the vivid
words of living Native elders themselves, from
Amongbotanists and ecologists, the prevaihng their own memories and in accounts passed down
view has long been that Native American to them from earUer generations, based on
populations were too small, too dispersed, and interviews and fieldwork Anderson conducted
too low-tech to have had much impact on amongthe Sierra Miwok and Mono.—Theyclearly
California's native landscape. The fact that show that system—atic management particularly
forests have encroached on Yosemite Valley through burning was pervasive, and that the
meadows, and dead brush has built up to fuel landscape has changed and resources are less
catastrophic wildfires in many areas only since healthy now that people are no longer takingcare
depopulation and decline oftraditional practices of them in the old way.
among indigenous peoples has received little Anderson and others have conducted field
serious attention among those seeking to un- experiments replicating indigenous harvesting,
derstand the flora and vegetation ofour state. burning, and pruning techniques to determine
More than a decade ago, an edited volume of their effects on resource productivity in light of
papers on environmental management by Native plants' responses to such disturbance. Among the
Californians (Blackburn and Anderson 1993) most compelling lines ofevidence are her studies
quietly entered the scene. Anthropologists and of museum collections of cultural artifacts
ethnobotanists working independently in differ- visible proofthat almost unimaginable quantities
ent areas had been finding indications that ofunbranched shoots and rhizomes, which could
indigenous non-agricultural peoples systematical- onlycomefrommanaged plants, were required to
ly modified their surroundings. Taken together, create the thousands of baskets and miles of
the several papers on this theme did attract some hand-twisted cordage utilized by even a single
notice, and researchers in other fields began to Native village.
look at Native Americans' relationships with the The book is divided into three principal
land in a new light. sections. The first paints a picture ofCahfornia's
That was just an initial step. Now comes its "natural" abundance as described by early
apotheosis in an important new book. Tending visitors, summarizes indigenous peoples' place
the Wild. In this truly impressive work, ecologist in and utilization of that world, and describes
M. Kat Anderson presents ove—rwhelming evi- both cultural and environmental changes after
dence that California Indians though often European contact. The second part, "Indigenous
simplistically classed as "hunter-gatherers" Land Management and its Ecological Basis,"
were unquestionably a powerful force in the systematically presents and analyzes the various
history of California's flora and plant communi- methods CaUfornia Indians used to enhance
ties. The stunning wildflower displays and park- productivity of specific culturally important
likewoodlands filledwith astonishinglyabundant resources. The final section discusses the perpet-
wildlife that dazzled early explorers and settlers uation of some of these practices by Native
were not, as they assumed, a pristine wilderness people today and the lessons they may have for
untouched by human hands. These were, in fact, landscape restoration.
anthropogenic landscapes. Fire suppression (with concomitant changes
As Anderson shows, some three hundred in vegetation) actively began around the turn of
thousand indigenous people throughout the state the last century in the Sierra and central
could and did have profound effects as they California, where Anderson did much of her
selectively burned, pruned, weeded, tilled, scat- field research. Indian burning was forcibly
tered seeds, and harvested the results of their terminated about a hundred years earlier
efforts over the course of many centuries. The throughout the large part of coastal California
long duration and broad scale of these practices affected by the mission system (Timbrook et al.
demonstrably affected the diversity, abundance, 1982). In many areas, therefore, indigenous fire
distribution, physical structure and health ofboth management practices are no longer living in
plants and the ecosystems of which they are cultural memory, making their revival a chal-
a part. lenging task. It is a worthwhile task nonethe-
MADRONO
300 [Vol. 53
less, and Anderson offers suggestions and played a significant role too long unrecognized
guidelines about how this might be approached in the vegetation history ofour state.
on a case-by-case basis in order to restore All the more appealing because it is very well
sustainable ecosystems. written, this book would make an excellent text
Plant-oriented readers may note a few in- for all manner ofanthropology, botany, ecology,
stances ofhyperbole. For example, although it is and forestry classes. It is also a useful reference
well established that humans have been living in work, nearly a third of it devoted to a thorough
California for at least 13,000 years, Anderson index, a largebibliography, andendnotes offering
provides no real archaeological or other evidence copious citations for virtually every paragraph.
to support her assertion that they were actively There are also 3 maps, 44 illustrations, and 12
managing resources for all that time. It is likely tables. All CaHfornia botanists, plant ecologists
that these management practices were carried on and land managers should seek out, read, and
for at least centuries and possibly millennia, but pay attention to Tending the Wild.
their actual antiquity remains unknown. She also —
sometimes seems a bit too attached to theconcept Jan Timbrook, Santa Barbara Museum ofNatural
of the ecological Indian living in harmony with History, 2559 Puesta del Sol Road, Santa Barbara, CA
the environment, waving aside the documented 93105. Email: [email protected].
instances of overexploitation and extirpation in
prehistory. I hope these few failings will not Literature Cited
distract anyone from the important contributions
ofthis work. Blackburn, T. C. and M. K. Anderson. 1993.
Obviously, there are many factors at play in Before the wilderness: environmental management
by native Californians. Ballena Press, Menlo Park,
thechanges California's—landscape has undergone CA.
since European contact introduced weeds, live- Timbrook, J., J. R. Johnson, and D. D. Earle.
stock grazing, and various l—and-use practices by 1982. VegetationburningbytheChumash. Journal
non-Indians to name a few but it is clear that ofCalifornia and Great Basin Anthropology 4(2):
Native American management systems have 163-86.