Module 1- Domesticating the "Wilderness"

Author: Kevin M. Smith

Domesticating the “Wilderness”

            For many, if not most, the term wilderness implies a vast, wild landscape with little to no human influence on that land.  In actuality, the term itself implies to a psychological state of bewilderment or confusion and therefore, when applied to the land, as in a wilderness, the individual may become disorientated or lost.  Since this concept applies to a state of mind, one individual who has traditionally lived in a “civilized” community, township or city without much experience in natural settings, would essentially feel as though a forest represents a “wilderness”, since the setting is foreign to that individual.  In contrast, Native People in early North America would never visual the forest or a vast natural setting as wilderness, since they are in fact residing in the place they call home, but would likely feel as though a city represented a “wilderness”.  This concept of wilderness is completely subjective to each individual (Nash, prologue).

            In Suttons text, the author gives us a perspective of “The Domesticated “Wilderness”” on page 15, referring to three basic concepts of environmental impact, all of which by Sutton’s perspective suggest that “wilderness” never really existed since Native Peoples have been domesticating the land through agricultural practices, hunting, gathering and controlled burning (for crops and hunting grounds) prior to European expansion.  Sutton explains that even minimal disturbances without industrial equipment effects the environment and thus, Native People themselves were the first to “tame the wilderness”.  However, since the concept of wilderness is entirely subjective, to some, wilderness may be a city, forest, ocean or mountain range.  I would like to add an alternative perspective to wilderness on a very basic level and state that the Native People who lived amongst the wild, were themselves as am I, mammals, and therefore animals living amongst other members of the animal kingdom.  For example, a bear foraging the woods may drag his claws across the ground, disturbing all types of species the animal comes in contact with from plants to small insects, amphibians, reptiles or microbes.  According to Sutton’s definition of environmental impact, that bear has essentially disturbed the wild and if a human did the same thing, the land would be considered domesticated (Sutton, p.15).  I disagree, essentially, the Native People learned as humans to replicate many strategies learned from animal behaviors and in my opinion there is no fault in attempting to be as non-invasive as possible.

Works Cited

Nash, Roderick Frazier.  2001.  Wilderness & The American Mind.  4^th Edition.  Yale University

Press.  US.

Sutton, Mark Q.  2012.  An Introductin to Native North America.  4^th Edition.  Pearson Education

Group.  US.