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Farming Technology from the Indians Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Week 04 Lecture 01 Native American Forestry Management and Agricultural Technology Weatherford chapter 5 Pages 75—98 Second edition pages 102–127 Last Updated 16 November 2013 and Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 1 04 Sept, 2019 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Native American Forestry Management and Agricultural Technology The learning objectives for week 04 are: – to understand the nature of North American Indian agro- forestry – to appreciate how modern science is making use of Native American farming practices – to appreciate how modern science is making use of Native American land management practices – to understand and appreciate some of the most important medical contributions of Native Americans to the world (Week 04 lecture 02) Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 2 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Native American Forestry Management and Agricultural Technology Terms you should know for week 04 are: – back fire – conuco – polyculture – the three sisters – quinine – curare – ipecac Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 3 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World: Dr. Richard W. Franke Native American Forestry Management and Agricultural Technology Week 04 Sources: Cronon, William. 1983. Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England. New York: Hill and Wang. Where the Europeans saw a wilderness with savages, modern ecological studies find a managed environment. Densmore, Frances. 1974 [orig. 1928]. How the Indians Use Wild Plants for Food, Medicine and Crafts. New York: Dover Publications. Jacke, Dave with Eric Toensmeier. 2005 Edible Forest Gardens: Ecological Design and Practice for Temperate Climate Permaculture.Volume I: Vision and Theory. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company. Esp. page 174 _____. 2005 Edible Forest Gardens: Ecological Design and Practice for Temperate Climate Permaculture.Volume II: Design and Practice. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company. Esp. pages 531-34 Mt. Pleasant, Jane. 2001. The Three Sisters: Care for the Land and the People. In James, Keith, ed. Science and Native American Communities: Legacies of Pain, Visions of Promise. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Pp. 126–34; Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 4 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World: Dr. Richard W. Franke Native American Forestry Management and Agricultural Technology Sources (contd): Thornton, Russell. 1987. American Indian Holocaust and Survival: A Population History Since 1492. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. Surveys the various estimates of the native population of the New World at the time of European contact. The population figures play an important role in the debate over the extent of Indian forest management described in the Michael Williams book below. Weatherford, Jack. 1991. Native Roots: How the Indians Enriched America. New York: Fawcett Columbine. More details on the topics first taken up in Indian Givers. Williams, Michael. 1988. Americans and Their Forests: A Historical Geography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 2 -- "The forest and the Indian" -- pages 22-49 -- describes the many ways Native Americans managed the forests of North America. Surprises galore await the reader of this text. Wolkomir, Richard. 1995. Bringing ancient ways to our farmers' fields. Smithsonian 26(8):99-107. November 1995. Describes the work of Iroquois agronomist Jane Mt. Pleasant of Cornell University who is studying the environmental and agricultural output consequences of the Iroquois "three sisters" system of corn, beans and squash that preserve soil fertility. Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 5 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Native Americans Among the World’s Greatest – Plant breeders – Biodiversity protectors – Agricultural technologists – Environmental managers – including advanced forms of agroforestry and other land management techniques Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 6 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Modern Scientists Have Discovered That… – Plants require 18 essential elements to live – Most from the soil – Carbon, oxygen and hydrogen from air and water – Nitrogen most difficult to get from air – … Week 04 Native American 7 Farming Technology Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Nitrogen thus a crucial “limiting factor” in plant growth – Modern agriculture gets from oil and natural gas see the Haber-Bosch process described later in this lecture – Expensive and amount is ultimately limited by fossil fuel availability – Easy to over-fertilize…excess can run off into local water systems and poison humans – this “reactive nitrogen” a major problem today Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 8 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Nitrogen thus a crucial “limiting factor” in plant growth Native Americans solved the problem by planting “nitrogen accumulators” near their food plants – Black locust, mahogany, bayberry trees – New Jersey tea shrub – Peanuts and related plants – Vetch and bean plants; also most acacias Sources: Jacke, Dave with Eric Toensmeier. 2005 Edible Forest Gardens: Ecological Design and Practice for Temperate Climate Permaculture.Volume I: Vision and Theory. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company. Esp. page 174 _____. 2005 Edible Forest Gardens: Ecological Design and Practice for Temperate Climate Permaculture.Volume II: Design and Practice. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company. Esp. pages 531-34 Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 9 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Other plants used to “accumulate” or “fix” – Phosphorus – may be facing a world shortage, see later slides – Potassium – Calcium Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 10 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Fertilizers • Native Americans understood value of animal dung for plants • Used seaweed and… • Guano – the giant bird droppings fields in Peru • Inca had regulated the guano supply • Peruvian guano helped England overcome soil fertility decline Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 11 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Vanilla • Native Americans taught Europeans how to grow • Also how to cure by aging 4 – 5 months to release flavor • Fertilized and tended by hand Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 12 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Other Native American Farming Technology Achievements… Week 04 Native American 13 Farming Technology Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Milpas • Plant crops on mounds rather than in rows • Leads to less erosion • May be a way to preserve soil in modern agriculture • Peruvian potato mounds shown in The Columbian Exchange a sophisticated version of the milpa Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 14 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Chinampas • “Floating gardens” of Aztecs • Did not float • Artificial islands built up on lakes • Very rich soil; high output Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 15 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 16 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke • Chinampas were food base for the Aztec empire • Among the most productive farming land ever created Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 17 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Conuco • Use root or sprout cuttings to develop genetically desirable traits • Cassava, sweet potato and pineapple all created this way Week 04 Native American Farming Technology 18 Montclair State University Department of Anthropology Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World Dr. Richard W. Franke Polyculture • Mix various plants on same field instead of row planting • Makes natural barrier against pests and diseases • Preserves long-term biodiversity and soil structure • See Iroquois three sisters example later in the slides Week 04 Native American Farming Technology
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