<ARTICLE>Community-based Conservation of Biocultural Diversity and the Role of Researchers : Examples from Iriomote and Yaku Islands, Japan and Kakamega Forest, West Kenya
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概要
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Iriomote and Yaku are islands of southern Japan, famous for such natural wonders as wildcats and giant cedar trees. Interviews with the inhabitants of these islands revealed that the older generations retain an animistic cosmology, in which deities dwell everywhere, and all the animals and plants live just like humans. Under the influence of this tradition of kinship with wildlife, the younger generations of islanders produce organic rice in order to protect Iriomote wildcats and stop the renewal of roads in the Yaku forests. By doing this, they wish to make the importance of their natural environment known to the world. Their narratives are complimented with the words of a Kenyan forest conservationist during his recent visit to Yaku Island. These local peoples have a pride in their indigenous cultures and feel an identity of being guardians of the biodiversity around them. The author proposes that the rich biodiversity in these islands, maintained by local people's cultural identity, should be termed "biocultural diversity". The islanders warn us of our modern arrogance : the arrogance of scholars over local people, the arrogance of majorities over cultural or ethnic minorities, and the arrogance of humans over all other living things. In order to deal with this arrogance, these local people teach us a lesson. They tell us to place yourself in the web of life and be aware of your responsibility for the future generations who will be part of the biocultural diversity of the Earth.
- 山口県立大学の論文
- 2002-03-25