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Article: Arctic Adaptations: Native Whalers and Reindeer Herders of Northern Eurasia.
- Article from:
- Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute
- Article date:
- September 1, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Royal Anthropological Institute. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Arctic adaptations argues forcefully for both an ecological approach to Arctic societies and a distinct treatment of Arctic ecosystems within such an ecologically oriented anthropology. Its main thesis can be summarized as follows: since Arctic ecosystems are more fragile and unstable than those of lower latitudes (short natural cycles, low species diversity, etc.), human adaptations are characterized by their potential disruptiveness (rapid population growth, over-exploitation of resources, etc.). Needless to say, such a view constitutes a frontal attack on ecological equilibrium theories and on representations of indigenous arctic societies as inherently conservationist.
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