Human Impacts on Amazonia is an outstanding collection of manuscripts on the cultural and political ecology of native Amazonians and other traditional inhabitants of the region, such as caboclos, ribeirinhos and rubber-tappers. It provides a rich contribution to the understanding of the historical role played by these communities in conservation of biodiversity and plant domestication, and is of crucial relevance to contemporary debates involving traditional knowledge, property rights of traditional populations and policies for protected areas. There is a diverse range of analytical work organized initially under the leadership of the late Posey, whose legacy continues to play a key role in the fight for recognition of intellectual property rights of native Amazonians. After his passing in March 2001, the compilation of this volume was finished by Balick.
Three main themes are explored in this volume: (1) historical accounts of the human-environment interactions in Amazonia, focusing on the impact of Western colonization of native Brazilians and the landscape; (2) case studies on the traditional knowledge and resource use by Amazonians and the interface with markets, legislation and/or the global economy; (3) analytical work on the implications from these case studies for the demarcation and management of indigenous lands, and for other public policies affecting traditional communities in Amazonia. While some papers concentrate in one of these themes, others encompass two or all three of them.
Conservation biologists and cultural anthropologists (specifically from the fields of ethnosciences and political ecology) compose the main readership of this book. However, most contributions are written in manner accessible to the lay person and almost any student interested in resource use by Amazonians, indigenous knowledge or its implications for conservation of tropical forests may profit from reading this book.
Among the weak points of the book, there is an overall lack of interaction among contributors, and chapters seem not to be grouped following a particular logic. Interdisciplinary and multi-perspective discussions could be more consistently present, particularly when addressing the impact of controversial policies, as well as on commenting on plausible future scenarios. Also, some contributions contain outdated information. However, several aspects of the volume are of great academic value. It provides in-depth discussion on environmental services deriving from the use and stewardship of tropical forests by native Amazonians, and their possible political implications for demarcation of indigenous lands and enforcement of property rights. Market channels for social inclusion might work in favour of indigenous communities, if preliminary studies provide effective strategies for mitigation of the cultural disruption of indigenous populations associated with capitalism, where risks of disruption need to be considered. Potential policies based on regional-wide incorporation of indigenous knowledge are discussed on a case-by-case basis, for example on using specific burning techniques to decrease fire accidents, potential increases in agricultural production arising from domestication of Amazonian crops and landscapes, or economic growth from investments in biodiversity prospecting. Such studies reinforce the role of the scientific community in promoting consistent documentation and recovery of indigenous knowledge, as long as mechanisms of appropriation are present. Alternatively, some authors propose a critical review of the role of anthropologists and its relationship with their ‘object’, through a paradigmatic shift in the ethnographic eye from that of an outside observer to that of the participant team member.
The overall appearance of the book is very good; most chapters read very well and authors do a remarkable job in making their point and keeping the reader interested throughout. Illustrations are well placed and clear, and references and index citations are very useful.
