Ecology and North American Indians

[Rosser Jr, John Barkley]

     If this proves to be a duplicate post to this list, 
I apologize in advance.
     In response to Louis P., I thank him for not presuming 
that I am a racist.  Others have reiterated and reinforced 
mhy basic point regarding diversity among Native American 
Indian tribes, so let me make just a few points:
1)  There are/were vast material differences between 
tribes, hunter-gatherers versus farmers versus tributary 
empires, etc.  Even within groups there were/are vast 
differences.  The Aztecs practiced ritual human sacrifice 
(not an invention of right-wing racist anthropologists) 
which helped undermine their popular support making them 
susceptible to a fall when the Spanish arrived, versus the 
welfare state Incas.  Some tribes in the Amazons practice 
head hunting and have some of the world's highest murder 
rates (facts documented by leftist anthropologists as well 
as right-wing) while others are very peaceful and "in 
harmony with nature".
2)  We do not know for sure what caused the Mayan collapse 
1000 year ago or so.  Some argue that it was resource 
overexploitation, some argue it was class struggle.  That 
is why I mentioned both, although it may have been both or 
neither.  It certainly has not been definitively shown that 
it was not resource overexploitation.  Harry Cleaver's 
useful commentary on the current sufferings of the 
descendents of the Mayans in Chiapas is of no relevance to 
a discussion of what caused the collapse of their 
ancestors' civilization before any Europeans were around.
3)  I agree that the cause of the Pleistocene extinctions 
in North America is unknown for sure.  My source, since LP 
asked, is an article in 1975 by Vernon Smith in the JPE.  
But I would prefer to avoid a "citation slinging" match in 
this discussion, although I am perfectly capable going toe 
to toe with Louis on this, if he so insists.  It is not 
just right-wing sources behind these arguments.
4)  I am more in sympathy with Louis's mystical views about 
how many tribes had harmonious relations with nature, etc. 
(see my May 1975 article in _Land Economics_).  But, again, 
that does not mean that all tribes had such views.  Many 
did not and that is not just a right-wing screed.
Barkley Rosser
-- 
Rosser Jr, John Barkley
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