Abstract
Native peoples have often been portrayed as natural conservationists, living in “harmony” with their environment. It is argued that this perspective is a result of an imprecise definition of conservation that emphasizes effects rather than actual behavior. Using foraging theory as a contrast, an operational definition of conservation is offered. Foraging theory assumes that foragers will behave to maximize their short-term harvesting rate. Hunting decisions that are costly in terms of short-term harvest rate maximization, yet increase the sustainability of the harvest are deemed conservation. Using this definition, alternative hypotheses are tested using data on the inter-specific prey choice decisions of a group of subsistence hunters, the Piro of Amazonian Peru. Results indicate that hunters do not show any restraint from harvesting species identified as vulnerable to over-hunting and local extinction. Decisions are made that are consistent with predictions of foraging theory.
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The phrase “ecologically noble savage” was coined by Kent Redford (1991) in a thought provoking article of the same name.
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Alvard, M.S. Testing the “ecologically noble savage” hypothesis: Interspecific prey choice by Piro hunters of Amazonian Peru. Hum Ecol 21, 355–387 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00891140
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00891140