J. Baird Callicott reading and discussion questions

-Chris Thaete

1. What are the four types of land wisdom attributed to native Americans? (37)

2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the utilitarian land ethic theory? (37-38)

3. How and why has the term ‘ecology’ been diluted over the years? (39)

4. What are some of the problems in researching pre-Colombian beliefs? How are we able to reconstruct these beliefs? (40)

5. How can language serve as a window into the belief systems of American Indians? (40)

6. How can spiritual and empirical knowledge both form a land ethic? Are the two distinct or co-arising?

7. What is the meaning of spirituality? How would American Indians view it? (42)

8. How did Westernization reshape the way we look at indigenous populations, even among the populations themselves?

9. What could be the benefits of having an accurate understanding of American Indian land ethics?

10. How could integration of American Indian land ethics be possible in the Western world?

11. What are some of the ways we can systematically acquire knowledge of American Indian beliefs? How accurately can we view them?