Derek A. Smith

The Certification and Privatization of Indigenous Lands in Mexico

Reforms to Mexicos rural sector that allow ejido and other communal lands to be privatized have been widely criticized. However, the national certification program that facilitates this process, called PROCEDE, has received little attention. We describe how the program was implemented, based on field research in eleven indigenous communities and analysis of archival, cadastral, and statistical information. We explain the surveying methods and the varied ways in which indigenous communities participated in the program. One major achievement of PROCEDE has been to replace thousands of old, inaccurate property maps with a modern cadastral framework based on the delimitation of communal territories with the direct involvement of local people. Many land conflicts were resolved as part of the certification process, although errors in the delimitation will likely generate new ones. However, while the ostensible goals of certification are laudable, there are serious concerns about its consequences for indigenous peoples, including the erosion of community institutions, increased socioeconomic differentiation, accelerated deforestation, and threats to their cultural survival.

The Spatial Patterns of Miskitu Hunting in Northeastern Honduras: Lessons for Wildlife Management in Tropical Forests

This paper presents the spatial patterns of indigenous hunting in two neighbouring Miskitu communities in north-eastern Honduras. Questionnaires documented the harvest of game, and hunting areas were documented by participatory mapping, field mapping and interviews. Over ten weeks, 58 hunters caught 1,607 kg of game within a 336 km2 delimited hunting zone. Three hunting sub-zones can be distinguished based on differences in habitat, species captured, quantities harvested, hunting strategies and technologies used. Wildlife conservation models could benefit from further integrating such patterns within existing models. Participatory techniques also provide an opportunity to involve local actors in the development of community-based wildlife management programs from the outset.

The coexistence of Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii) and indigenous hunters in northeastern Honduras

The Bairds tapir (Tapirus bairdii) is a popular game species throughout Central America, particularly among indigenous populations, and is currently endangered. Research on Miskitu hunting was conducted over 4 months in a remote region in northeastern Honduras that overlaps with the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve. The hunting zone was mapped together with hunters and interviews were conducted with elders and other community members about tapir hunting. Results show that tapir harvesting is targeted toward specific habitats at specific times of year. Harvest rates for one year suggest that tapir hunting in the area exceeds estimates of maximum sustainable production. Nevertheless, field surveys reveal the presence of tapir within 1 km of the community, and its harvest tends to be nearby, in both forested and agricultural landscapes, suggesting that the animal has not been depleted in the area. It appears that the existence of forest areas adjacent to the hunting zone that do not experience hunting, together with the anthropogenic habitats created through shifting cultivation, are factors that help explain the presence of tapirs in the area. The article concludes with a discussion regarding the potential positive role of indigenous hunters in tapir conservation throughout its distribution range.

THE HARVEST OF RAIN–FOREST BIRDS BY INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN PANAMA*

In this article I attempt to shed light on the relationships between indigenous communities and bird populations through research on hunting in five neighboring villages in western Panama. Over eight months, 59 households captured 1,584 birds using rifles, sling‐shots, traps, and other methods, resulting in a total yield of 252 kilograms. Although hunters captured more than 125 avian species, just four species account for more than half of the total harvest. The most important game bird is the great curassow (Crax rubra), followed by the great tinamou (Tinamus major) and crested guan (Penelope purpurascens). The type and quantity of avifauna captured varies significantly according to habitat and hunting strategy. The spatial distribution of bird kill sites is highly concentrated, with 62 percent of the harvest by weight captured within just 1 kilometer of the participating households. Even the more vulnerable species are encountered close to home, suggesting that overhunting has not occurred.

A boat perspective: local geographic knowledge of fish harvesters in Change Islands, Newfoundland

People whose livelihoods depend on the natural environment have detailed knowledge of the lands and waters surrounding their communities. This paper presents research on the traditional geographic knowledge of fish harvesters in Change Islands, Newfoundland. Our findings, based on “kitchen table mapping” and other ethnographic methods, demonstrate that residents of coastal communities have extensive geographic knowledge associated with a way of life centred on fishing. This knowledge is reflected in a “namescape” that includes hundreds of toponyms that are not present on existing maps and that reflect meaningful connections with local history and cultural heritage. Fish harvesters also have distinctive ways of conceptualizing the landscape and the seascape, which is reflected in the geographic terminology they use. Overall, their way of looking at the environment, in contrast to the birds-eye perspective that prevails in western cartography, can be characterized as a “boat perspective”. Their geographic knowledge has practical value for improving existing cartographic information and developing sustainable resource use strategies. At a broader level, their distinctive ways of interpreting the “earthscape” provide alternative ways of understanding space and place, and can help us identify our assumptions about how we define geographic features and represent them on maps.