Culture and environment: the myth of environmental ancestor

With the spread of environmentalist movement, becoming stronger because the powerful threat of global warming, is pretty common to hear about the idea of ancient people that lived in total harmony with nature and their traditional culture and ancient wisdom were much better adapted and had no harm to the environment.

The most common reference to those myths used to be Chief Seattle's letter to President of the United States at the time. The letter warns about harm to nature has important consequenses, like "The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself". Heartbreaking but sadly false (It was actually written by Ted Perry, Hollywood writer. Not because it wasn't an ecological true). And not just because of the author of the letter, but where could they learn that lesson.

Human Impact in ancient environment

The humankind has spread all over the world, adapting himself to every environment that has faced. Mountains, jungles, oceans, "polar cold" and even space. But in each one has made an impact.

The very faraway islands of New Zealand are great places to check this out. Because their positions on the world map, those islands have been one of the last places that humans have colonized. The first polynesian people arrived just 1000 years ago which, for archeological record, is the same as yesterday.

Human settlement map by genetics studies(that match with archeological record). When first humans arrived to NZ, in Europe Carolingian Empire had fallen, Vikings had reached America, toltecs had reached their maximum civilization point and Reindeer had extinct in Scotland

This people originated Maori culture (very famous around the world because of haka, war dance used by All Blacks, national rugby team of New Zealand). Maori used to practice gather-hunting and horticulture as well. Their beliefs are animist (which means they give soul to nature and natural forces), and that is why people relate them with environmental beliefs.

Despite being a coast away in the ocean, Maori culture is also away to be the realm of utopia. As it happened on the rest of the world, where hunt-gathering populations killed big fauna (as optimal foraging theory said, are the most efficient to hunt, means more calories by less work/hour) Maoris hunted several species to the point of extinct them.

Map that shows native forest extension in 1000 (when Maoris arrived), in 1840 (when europeans arrived) and now

In NZ, Maoris extinguished by direct action (hunt or habitat destruction) or indirect action (introducing of other species as rats and dogs): 40 species of birds, 1 of bat, 3 o 4 of frogs, several lizards. Among those animal we found Moa, big fauna, big non-flying bird, bigger than ostrich (some times 3 meters/ 10 feet tall). Also Haast's Eagle, an eagle so big that used to hunt Moas.

Those are not the only islands where such a thing has happened. In Madagascar were extinguished giant land turtle, elephant bird, giant lemur, pygmy hippo, among others. Same has happened in Great Britain with elephants, lions, reindeer, beavers, bison. In Hawaii, giant geese. In Chipre, elephants and deers. In caribbean islands giant rodents and colossal owl. For instance, in Eastern Island the damage was so huge that they cut off all trees and hunted all animals. The ecological impact was so brutal that conflicts started among human populations and war and even cannibalism had happened. (on next article).

Sources:

http://envirohistorynz.com/2009/12/15/impacts-of-the-maori-on-the-environment/
http://frentepopulardejudea-nenya.blogspot.com/2011/11/haciendo-el-indio-la-falsa-carta-del.html
Cohen M.K. 1994. Demographics and human expansion.
Harris M. 1986 Canibals and Kings