A Comparsion Study of Western Environmentalism and Amazonian Indians

Introduction

It is not inaccurate to say that historically, first-world individuals have often used third-world peoples in order to further propagate their ideals or to increase their economic gain. The interaction between the “civilized” Westerners and Amazonian Indians is no different. As environmentalism took root in Western society, first-world activists and opportunists utilized misrepresentations and generalizations of Amazonian Indians as vanguards of environmental sustenance to broadcast their causes in both Latin America and back at home.

Historical Context and Evolution of Environmentalism

Until the 1980s, environmentalism initially focused on the strict preservation of resources, emphasizing the presence of people as an obstacle to environmental preservation. However, the shift towards sustainability of resources rather than their meticulous conservation created the need to find a model of individuals sustainably using rainforest resources. Through ethnobiological research, scientists found that Amazonian Indians were able to use natural resources efficiently while increasing biodiversity. This discovery highlighted the potential of supporting these Indians to advance environmental causes (Redford & Stearman, 1993).

Amazonian Indians as "Guardians of the Forest"

Conservationists began hailing Amazonian Indians as “guardians of the forest,” and numerous international agencies started promoting new models for sustainable land use that incorporated Indian resource management methods. Soon, preserving the local Indian culture and supporting its causes became just as important an objective as preserving the sustainability of resources in the rainforest. This new strategy allowed environmentalists to propose efficient models for resource management while legitimizing their association with the affairs of the nations these Amazonian Indians represented. Without a valid connection with the local Indian issues, the conservationist crusade against deforestation in the Amazon would have been seen as merely a self-interested first-world interference (Conklin & Graham, 1995).

The "Noble Savage" Stereotype

Further, Western environmentalists propagated the Amazonian Indians as “Noble Savages,” natural conservationists who use resources non-destructively, creating a cultural tendency in media to portray them positively. This romanticized representation allowed NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) to mobilize supporters by distinguishing themselves from other non-profit organizations and raising funds for their cause. By painting this gallant image of Amazonian Indians as defenders of nature, NGOs were able to evoke a sense of guilt in viewers, making them believe that if they did not support the cause, they were not part of this noble group of individuals defending nature (Kliskey et al., 1999).

Corporate Use of Amazonian Imagery

This positive symbolic value was not limited to NGOs. Many Western corporations also used idealized images of Indians in advertising and marketing. Observing the effectiveness of NGOs in gaining support, firms quickly saw the potential of forest Indians as positive marketing symbols and began to incorporate them into their advertisements. This portrayal allowed companies like Ben and Jerry’s and Shaman Pharmaceuticals to market their products as eco-friendly and “Indian-approved” (Chapin, 2004).

Transcultural Identification and Influence

Perhaps most importantly, the use of Amazonian symbolism created a feeling of planetary community and transcultural identification. First-world individuals were able to identify with indigenous cultures and break down traditional barriers of cultural domination. Consequently, environmentalists' calls for sustainability were now seen as demanded by Amazonian Indians, gaining influence as a kind of superlegitimacy associated with purity and wisdom (Krech, 1999).

Benefits for Indigenous Communities

However, benefits from this stereotyping were not limited to Westerners. Indigenous Indians also reaped the benefits of the positive generalization placed on their culture. Prior to their rise as a marketing tool, only two major institutional agents mediated their relations with Brazilian society: FUNAI and the Catholic Church. As the connection between environmentalists and Amazonian Indians was discovered, environmentalists began to push for Amazonian rights at the international level, leading to significant policy changes in Brazil. The extensive media coverage received by the Kayapo, a group of Ge Indians, demonstrated the newfound attention and support for indigenous causes (Turner, 1991).

Conclusion

The Westerners’ typecasting of Amazonian Indians as champions of environmental cause seems to have done no harm. In fact, many argue that it has aided both sides’ causes. However, it is crucial to consider that if our portrayal does not accurately represent the ideals and doctrines of the group, we suppress their power to speak for themselves. When we take away a group’s right to expression, we violate the very rights we claim to uphold.

References

• Chapin, M. (2004). A challenge to conservationists. World Watch Magazine, November/December.
• Conklin, B. A., & Graham, L. R. (1995). The shifting middle ground: Amazonian Indians and eco-politics. American Anthropologist, 97(4), 695-710.
• Kliskey, A. D., Alessa, L., & Barr, B. (1999). The role of perception in managing ecosystems. Environmental Management, 23(6), 621-631.
• Krech, S. (1999). The Ecological Indian: Myth and History. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Redford, K. H., & Stearman, A. M. (1993). Forest-dwelling Native Amazonians and the conservation of biodiversity: Interests in common or in collision? Conservation Biology, 7(2), 248-255.
• Turner, T. (1991). Representing, resisting, rethinking: Historical transformations of Kayapo culture and anthropological consciousness. In G. Stocking Jr. (Ed.), Colonial Situations: Essays on the Contextualization of Ethnographic Knowledge (pp. 285-313). University of Wisconsin Press.