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Ethno-ornithology
Birds, Indigenous Peoples, Culture and Society
Edited By Sonia Tidemann and Andrew Gosler
'A novel, fascinating and wide ranging account of the way birds are perceived by different cultures'
Tim Birkhead, ornithologist and author of The Wisdom of Birds
Hardback
February 2010 •
368 pages •
234 x 156mm •
ISBN 9781844077830
An African proverb states that when a knowledgeable old person dies, a whole library disappears. In that light, this book presents knowledge that is new or has not been readily available until now because it has not previously been captured or reported by indigenous people. Indigenous knowledge that embraces ornithology takes in whole social dimensions that are inter-linked with environmental ethos, conservation and management for sustainability. In contrast, western approaches have tended to reduce knowledge to elemental and material references. This book also looks at the significance of indigenous knowledge of birds and their cultural significance, and how these can assist in framing research methods of western scientists working in related areas.
As well as its knowledge base, this book provides practical advice for professionals in conservation and anthropology by demonstrating the relationship between mutual respect, local participation and the building of partnerships for the resolution of joint problems. It identifies techniques that can be transferred to different regions, environments and collections, as well as practices suitable for investigation, adaptation and improvement of knowledge exchange and collection in ornithology.
Includes a colour plate section. The chapters in this book have been refereed through the process of peer review.
'The last half century has seen a significant growth in our understanding of how humans perceive the world of birds, and this knowledge has shaped the development of ethnobiology ... Given this prominence, it is perhaps surprising that we have had to wait so long for a review of the subject and for such a powerful statement of its scope and significance. What is remarkable about this benchmark volume is the size and diversity of the contributions. There can be little doubt that with its publication ethno-ornithology has arrived as an identifiable cross-disciplinary specialism, with much to say that is relevant not only to the humane sciences, but to conservation and the emerging consensus on biocultural diversity.'
Roy Ellen, Professor of Anthropology and Human Ecology and Director of the Centre for Biocultural Diversity, University of Kent, UK
'A fascinating series of essays exploring the diverse links that exist between birds and people; studies that remind us how all human societies are deeply indebted to birds - for language, song, food, inspiration, commerce - a biocultural certainty that cries out for a stronger role in contemporary nature conservation.'
John Fanshawe, Senior Strategy Adviser, BirdLife International
CONTENTS (Expand Contents)
Part I: Introduction
1. Indigenous Knowledges, Birds that have 'Spoken' and Science
2. Ethno-Ornithology and Conservation
3. The Broader Significance of Ethno-Ornithology
Part II: Birds: Hunting and Products
4. The Maori and the Huia
5. Santa Cruz Red Feather Currency And The Scarlet Honeyeater
6. Entrapment Of Wetland Birds: Local Customs And Methods Of Hunting In Central Java
7. Wildlife Hunting and Bird Trade in Northern Papua (Irian Jaya), Indonesia
Part III: Birds and Knowledge
8. Transmutation of Human Knowledge about Birds in 16th Century Honduras
9. Sound, Sight, Stories and Science: Avoiding Pitfalls in Ethno-Ornithological Research, with Examples from Kenya
10. What the Locals Know: Comparing Traditional and Scientific Knowledge of Megapodes in Melanesia
Part IV: Birds: Story and Language
11. The Birds and Nature in the Stepwells of Gujarat, Western India
12. Aboriginal Stories: The Riches and Colour of Australian Birds
13. Tlingit Birds, an annotated list with a statistical comparative analysis
14. Raven=Heron in Mayan-Language Prehistory: An Ethno-Ornithological/Linguistic Study
15. What's in a Bird Name: Relationships among Ethno-Ornithological Terms in Nage and other Malayo-Polynesian Languages
Part V: Birds and Conservation
16. An Alternate Reality: Maori Spiritual Guardianship of New Zealand's Native Birds
17. Everyone Loves Birds: Using Indigenous Knowledge of Birds to Facilitate Conservation in New Guinea
18. Birds, People and Conservation in Kenya
19. Bird Messengers for all Seasons: Landscapes of Knowledge among the BriBri of Costa Rica
20. The Bull of the Bog: Bittern Conservation Practice in a Western Bio-cultural Setting
21. Towards an Indonesian bird conservation ethos: reflections from a study of bird-keeping in the cites of Java and Bali
Sonia Tidemann is an Adjunct Professor at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, Australia and has been involved in natural and cultural resource management for more than 25 years.
Andrew Gosler is Head of the Institute of Human Sciences, Oxford University, UK, where he lectures in Biological Conservation, and University Research Lecturer in the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Oxford.
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