286 / REVIEWS
northern Alaska. Discussed are the Alaska Eskimo Whaling about current subsistence issues in Alaska. The book could
be effectively incorporated into university
courses in anthroCommission, the Eskimo Walrus Commission, the Yukonpologyand northern studies. Especially, because of its
Kuskokwim Delta Goose Management Plan, and several
multidisciplinary approach, it is appropriate for use in
others. Huntington concludes thatcooperative systems have
good potential to provide effective management because they
courses in wildlife management andcontemporary resource
can focus on particular issues, have specific gods, and can
issues. Also, specialists may appreciate the overview of
adapt to the needs of subsistence hunters.
recent efforts to develop cooperative approaches to subsisIn the final chapter, Huntington suggests a set of criteria,
tence resource management and the update on the complex
based upon the findings in the previous four chapters, by
resource management situation that presently exists in Alaska.
which ten management regimes are qualitatively evaluated.
. James A. Fall
The criteria concern such characteristics
as legality, ecological
Division
of Subsistence
relevance, cultural appropriateness, flexibility, and local
of
Fish
and Game
Alaska
Department
involvement. Those regimes foundto be mosteffective have
333
Raspberry
Road
clearly defined roles, are flexible, and have a high degree
Anchorage,
Alaska
9951
8
of localinvolvement, while those with low
overall effectiveU.
S.A.
ness lack cultural relevance, are difficult to implement, or
fail to include local hunters in the management process.
According to Huntington’s analysis, examples of effective
LORE: CAPTURING TRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL
resource management regimes include the Alaska Eskimo
WOWLEDGE. Edited by MARTHAJOHNSON. Ottawa:
Whaling Commission and the Yukon-KuskokwimDelta
International Development ResearchCentre and the Dene
Goose ManagementPlan. In contrast, migratory bird treaties
Cultural Institute, 1992. x + 190p., maps, appendix.
have poor overall effectiveness because they are “rigid,
Softbound. Cdn$l4.95.
culturally inappropriate, and difficult tochange.” Following
Traditional or indigenous knowledgeis a rapidly growing
this, the same criteria are applied to the management of
focus of interest for Native and non-Native people in governwalrus, caribou, geese, polar bears, and bowhead whales.
ment, academia, and private organizations in Canada and
Huntington concludes that walrus managementisonly
throughout the world. Canadian Native people, of course,
moderately effective; although subsistence hunters can
have historically had more than a passing interest in traditional
provide for their needs, there is no mechanism to adopt
knowledge. It has for countless generations been a way of
conservation measures until the population is declared
life and understanding it intimately has been a prerequisite
depleted. Huntington views the effectiveness of bowhead
for
a successful and fruitful existence.
However, the ravages
whale managementas “good,” primarily becauseof the active
role of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission in managingof a colonial history and social policies geared towards
assimilation have distanced many Native peoples from their
the hunting.
Throughout the book, the dominant theme is that effective history andfrom an understanding of traditional knowledge.
The recovery of traditional knowledge has been identified
resource management systems require “intensive local
by many Native organizations as an integral tool for cultural
involvement.” Huntington viewsthe interests of professional
repatriation and political empowerment.
resource managers and local subsistence hunters
as mutually
In recent years interest in this area has also burgeoned
supportive. Local hunters possess a great deal of detailed
among
non-Native groups who are realizing that a wealth
knowledge about game populations that is of value to
of knowledge is at risk of being lost. In Canada, examples
managers. Also, without the cooperation of local hunters,
of this increased interest and recognition include
the creation
conservation measures may be ignored and hence be
of
an
interdisciplinary
committee
of
academics
to study
ineffective. Therefore, according to Huntington, the best
indigenous
knowledge
at
the
University
of
Alberta,
governexamples of effective management regimesare those thatare
ment
utilization
of
traditional
knowledge
in
studies
such as
“cooperative,” where there is “a shared commitment to the
the
current
Northern
River
Basin
Study,
the
formation
of
ideas of local use and of resource conservation. ”
five
Canadian
wildlife
co-management
regimes,
and
the
rapid
This book fills an important gap in that there are few
proliferation of projects documenting traditional knowledge.
overviews of the complex state of subsistence resource
Lore: Capturing Traditional Environmental Knowledge,
management in Alaska available to a general readership.
edited by Martha Johnson,is a timely and strong contribution
Overall, the book is accurate, clear, and reasonably up to
to a topicon which there has been little existing information
date. The reader should be cautioned, however, that subsisand few descriptive books. Although Lore focuses on the
tence management in Alaska
is a rapidly changing issue.
The
environmental components of traditional knowledge, this
book’s strength is its dual focus on the needs of both the
book does not attempt
an exhaustive examination of traditional
wildlife resources and the communities that depend upon
environmental
knowledge
(TEK). Instead, the intent of Lore
those resources, as well as its clear acknowledgement that
to the subject and
developing solutionsto problems in subsistence management is to provide a comprehensive introduction
to summarize the results of a workshop on TEK held near
requires contributions by several disciplines, including
Fort Good Hope in the summer of 1990.
biology, anthropology, and political science.
The objectives of this bookappear to be threefold. First,
The book is recommended for several audiences. It will
be particularly usefulfor those with little previous knowledge Lore seeks to broaden the reader’s understanding of the
REVIEWS / 287
I
The DCI pilot project case study
is rigourous in integrating
breadth of TEK and to describe the widespread opposition
to the recognition of TEK
as a legitimate,if alternative, source TEK with conventional applications of ecological investiof information. Second,Lore proposes alternatives to conven- gation. Moreover, this case studyshines as anhonest
portrayal ofthe
practical difficulties ofimplementing
tional means of gathering and compiling information. Lore
community-based projects. Authors Johnson and Rutton pull
places a high priority on participatory approaches as the
few punches when detailing the difficulties confronted in
appropriate means of capturing traditional environmental
involving
cornunity members as driving forces and decision
knowledge. The authors suggest that compilingTEK is only
makers of the project.
part of the objective. Although TEK has an intrinsic value,
The Belcher Island studydescribes a cooperative managesuch knowledge also strengthens indigenous communities
ment plan for a re-introduced reindeer herd and indoing so
culturally and politically. However, this can only occur if
provides an excellent illustration of the parallels between TEK
the holders of that knowledge identify, initiate, and retain
and Western assessments of
reindeer foraging patterns. The
ownership of research projects. The final objective of the
author presents lengthy selections of interview transcriptions,
book is to document a number of case studies presented at
whichallowthe
readers tomaketheseconnections
on
the Fort Good Hope workshop. The workshop attracted a
their own.
diverse group of researchers interested in traditional
The MarovoSolomon Island case study presents an ideal
knowledge from around the world.
to which all community-based projects may aspire. In many
Editor Martha Johnson, whohelped
coordinate the
workshop, is well suited for the task. Although Johnson is
community projects, concerns are raised about the way in
non-Native, she knows her subject well, She holds a master’swhich benefits from the project flow backto the community
degree in anthropology specializing in Inuit folk ornithologyand aboutthe degree to which the community retains control
and is former research director for the Dene Cultural
over the projector research process.This case study portrays
Institute (DCI). In this capacity, she was the joint project
an outstanding feeling of partnership between the community
coordinator for the DCI’s 1989-91 Fort Good Hope TEK
and investigators. Researchers are welcomed as partners in
pilot project and the Fort Good Hope workshop.
learning more about the environment and ecology of the
Lore is a short, descriptive book, not
an involved analytical Marovo lagoon. The community encourages atwo-way
work. Nonetheless, it explores the breadthand range of
exchange, with community members andresearchers acting
traditional knowledgeand provides a perspective that
as both students and teachers.
will interest both experienced practitioners and those taking The Sahel Oral History Project describes a process for
their first look at this subject. Lore seeks to strengthen the
collecting TEK in support of a community forestryprogram
credibility of TEK by discussion
and case study illustration.
throughout all sub-Saharan Africa. Unique from the other
The various case studies and projects described in the book
studies, this project was initiated by an outside agency and
were the focusofan international workshop on TEK held
the project results are intended to benefit outside interests.
at a traditional Dene camp during the summer
of 1990 on the
The weakness of Lore is in two areas. First, it is heavy
remote shores ofthe Mackenzie River near
Fort Good Hope.
on description. Only in the appendix are significant analysis
Lore hasa strong political component, promoting the
and critique raised. Indeed it is curious that this discussion
integration of
Western
and
traditional environmental wasrelegated to the appendix rather than formingan
knowledge. It advocates that both Western biologists and
appropriate concluding chapter. While Johnson appears to
traditional knowledge holders should widen their perspechave intended the case studies
to speak for themselves, some
tives and by doing so benefit from the knowledge of each
readers
may
feel
that
the
description
comes to an abrupt halt
other’s discipline.
with
the
conclusion
of
the
final
case
study. The reader is
The strengths of Lore lie in its introduction, in the
left
wondering
about
the
implications
of the different
contrasting perspectives highlighted inthe case studies, and
approaches
and
about
the
future
direction
for research in
in its appended case study summary. The introduction is
traditional
knowledge.
Although
the
appended
workshop
particularly strong, providing a succinct and comprehensive
summary
does
an
admirable
job
in
the
space
allowed,
readers
discussion on the differences between Western environmental
may
be
left
thirsty
for
a
more
in-depth
discussion.
knowledge and TEK. Barriers to the acceptance of TEK
Participatory action research (PAR) is referred to in the
within conventional disciplines are explored and strategies
foreword, the introduction, and someof the case studies as
for integrating Western scientific knowledge with TEK are
a necessary part of any TEK research project. However, both
discussed. In 20-odd pagesJohnson brings out the essential
the
term and concept of this relatively obscure research
elements of TEK and addresses, this
in reviewer’s mind, most
approach
are never defined or explored. The case studies,
major issues of debate and discussion on the topic.
which
employ
both conventional and
quasi forms of particiThe case studies offer some unique perspectives on TEK
patory research, describe in detail their research methods.
and the effects its recovery has on local indigenous holders
However, nowhere in the book
are these techniques evaluated
ofthatknowledge.
The case studies presentedby the
with respect to how they conform
to PAR techniques. Having
researchers include abroad range of projects spanning
read this book, readers unfamiliar with PAR will be little
different cultures and geography. Rather than attemptingto
catalogue traditional and Western environmental knowledge,wiser on how this important techniqueis integral to research
into TEK.
these case studies describe the general intent of the projects
Criticisms noted, Lore provides a number of excellent
and identify the factors that contributed to or diminished
their success.
illustrations of traditional knowledge in a variety of cultural
288 / REVIEWS
contexts. The case studies alone provide a testament to the
I found other features the
in A t h to appreciate and question
wealthof knowledge and depth of understanding that
at the same time. The 27 community area maps that form
indigenous people have of their
own local ecology. Ultimately the atlas’s second section clue the user to the general sweep
this knowledge is of tremendous value as policies and
of local land use. These would be even more useful, however,
planning initiatives are adapted to more equitably meet the
if pertinent topographic sheet designations were indicated
needsof Native people. This book will interest a wide
here and on the main index map. Also, the placing of wildreadership, from those with direct interests in researching
life maps nextto land use sheets is welcomed, butin the case
TEK to individuals lookingfor inspiration on ways to involve of the former, one can see a reader spending considerable
their own communities in uncovering and documenting
their
time trying to decide if acircled area indicates, for example,
own local knowledge.
a caribou calving area or the extent of local winter-summer
movements. Perhapsthe feature of the land use maps I found
Tony Hoare
most to my liking was that the overlapping interests of two
Research Associate
or three communities to an areahesourceare actually
The Arctic Institute of North America
discernible.
Box 759
It is certainly possible to critique the Nunavut Atlas much
Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada
more extensively. For instance, I suspect a cartographer
XOE OPO
(which I am not) might have complaints about the loss of
definition of physiographic features on many of the land use
maps. My basic utilitytest, however, consisted of examining
NUNAVUTATLAS. Edited by RICK NEWE.Edmonton:
the land use-wildlife maps (p. 64-65,66-67,98-99) relevant
Canadian Circumpolar Institute and the Tungavik
to Clyde River. To my surprised relief, the information on
Federation of Nunavut, 1992. Circumpolar Research
these six maps compared very favourably with
datathe
I have
Series, No. 2 . 270 p., 150 b&w maps, 70 b&w photos.
accumulated
on
that
region
for
the
past
20
years.
I
only
wish
Hardbound. Cdn$ 1 50.00.
the editor had found a way of
grouping all the Clyde sheets
The Nunavut Atlas is the second compilation of land use
so that they appeared consecutively.
and renewable resource information published for the InuitThe Nunavut Atlas should prove to be a valuable, if
occupied portion of the Northwest Territories during the last
cumbersome and pricey, research tool. Its field site utility,
two decades. The firsteffort,the
Inuit Land Use and
for obvious reasons, will be limited but, more positively,
Occupanq Project (ILUOP) (Freeman, 1976), broke
it will ensure that all of us spend additional time in our
methodological and theoretical ground at the time of its
respective university libraries. One further, and important,
appearance. The present atlas, as its editor points out, owes
note. The Atlas’s last six foldout maps provide the only
clear
a great debt to the ILUOP. However, political changes,
identification of Nunavut-claimed lands that I am aware of
notably the Nunavut Agreement, and the fact that almost
and should be used with copies of the Nunavut Agreement.
20 years have passed since the last comprehensive land use
George W Wenzel
research effort, require that an updating of the state of Inuit
Department of Geography
land andwildlife relations be done. The Nunavut Atlas, like
McGill University
its predecessor, is, if nothingelse, testimony tothe dedication
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
such research requires.
The Atlas, however, is not a simple clone of the ILUOP.
H3A 2K6
First, it avoids some of the representational problems
regarding data well known from that original volume.
MUSKOX HUSBANDRY; A GUIDE FOR THE CARE,
Second, it expands beyond the basic land use database
FEEDING
AND
BREEDING
OF
CAPTIVE
established in the 1970s by integrating information on
archaeological presence, wildlife movements and special sites MUSKOXEN. By PAMELAGROVES. Fairbanks: Institute
of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, 1992. Biological
and at least a qualitative scaling of land use intensity. All
Papers of the University of Alaska Special Report No. 5 .
of this is helped by a 1500 OOO scale map format, rather
148 p., 15 figs., 6 tables, 76 refs., 6 appendices, index.
than the 1 :1 000 000
scale of the ILUOP.
Softbound. US$30.00.
I suspect thatthere will be considerable comparison to the
ILUOP, as well as discussion of how effectively(or not) the
“Buddha and Mak also were special muskoxen for me.
Nunavut Atlas presents its data. In this regard, I have mixed
I
raised
them from calves and they, along with my raven,
feelings. To me, a weakness of this volume is that it lacks
would go berry picking with me in autumn. They were all
the regional overview essays found in the ILUOP. These
good friends . . . ” (Acknowledgements, p. xiii).
provided much-needed texture to the basic material. Here,
From the outset it is clear that Pam Groves writes about
the editor relies on brief explanationskeyed to the icons that
muskoxen
with deep affection and a desire to convey to the
populate each map; unfortunately, these are not always as
reader
both
sober scientific knowledge and her continuing
informative as might be desired. On the other hand, the A t h
fascination with these wooly, prehistoric-looking creatures.
welcomingly uses animal and feature icons, rather than the
There cannot be many people who could write of berry
ILUOP’s coloured circles and dots, to present its information. Too often the density of dots-circles overwhelmed bothpicking in the company of muskoxen and describe special
ways of caring for “geriatric muskoxen”! The numbers of
ILUOP maps and users.