Humanities Institute and Center for Latin America Working Group “Continuity and Change in the Andes and Amazonia"
Presents
Dr. Nick Kawa, Department of Anthropology OSU “Amazonia in the Anthropocene: People, Soils, Plants, Forests”
Widespread human alteration of the planet has led many scholars to claim that we have entered a new epoch in geological time: the Anthropocene, an age dominated by humanity. Drawing from long-term ethnographic and ethnobotanical research, this talk examines how Pre-Columbian Amerindians and contemporary rural Amazonians have shaped their environments, describing in vivid detail their use and management of the region’s soils, plants, and forests. At the same time, it highlights the ways in which the Amazonian environment continually resists human manipulation and control—a vital reminder in this time of perceived human dominance. In doing so, this presentation aims to address the paradoxes and contradictions of the Anthropocene, and argues for a more inclusive vision of ecology for the future. This talk is based on Dr. Kawa’s book by the same title, published with University of Texas Press this spring.
Nick Kawa is an Asst. Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the Ohio State University. His research focuses on issues of biodiversity management, agricultural sustainability, and long-term human-environmental interaction in the Amazon region. Recently, he has also begun to examine Midwestern farmers’ adoption of conservation management practices and use of biosolids. He serves as the President-elect of the Culture and Agriculture section of the American Anthropological Association.
Lunch will be provided, but please RSVP to Michelle Wibbelsman at wibbelsman.1@osu.edu by February 24, 2016.
