Tuesday, September 8, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 5
Seminar members balk at student's word choice
'Stewardship' raises questions in dissertation
By Pallavi Agarwal Kansan staff writer
Research on alien cultures and customs has its own trial by fire.
At a seminar Friday, a University of Kansas student found a roomful of people disagreeing about one word appearing in his paper.
The paper was a condensed version of an ongoing 67-page dissertation chapter written by Jay Antle, Baytown, Texas, graduate student. Antle was presenting his work for review at a Hall Center for Humanities colloumbium.
Both the chapter and the dissertation paper dealt with ways in which Native Americans in Central Montana relate to the environment, Antle said.
Much of the two-hour debate centered on the use of the word "stewardship," which the group considered to be an inadequate description of Native Americans' relationship with the environment.
It also raised the concern of academia about how to interpret foreign cultures in their research and prompted questions about whether such research should be attempted at all.
The predominantly Caucasian group of 17 considered the term stewardship incorrect in the Native American context.
"The word stewardship is a Western concept and carries a cartload of assumptions," said Jeff Crunk, Valley Mills, Texas, graduate student.
Ray Pierotti, assistant professor of systematics, ecology and environmental studies, agreed.
"To Native Americans, relationship with nature was one of connection rather than control." he said.
In cases where foreign cultures and practices are under scrutiny, correct interpretation becomes an added responsibility, said Donald Worster, Hall professor of American history and coordinator of the colloquium.
"When we develop a thought, it has to be precise and useful," he said. "People in that culture have to find it meaningful, not distorted."
Kevin Armitage, Crested Butte, Colo., graduate student, found the study of other cultures challenging.
"Cultures evolve and change," he said. "Evidence in many cases is partial. The discussion on stewardship was part of a larger, more profound intellectual problem on how to convey
"When we develop a thought, it has to be precise and useful. People in that culture have to find it meaningful, not distorted."
Donald Worster American history professor
information about cultures."
information about cultures." Some students said research on Native American cultural and religious practices was made more challenging with the absence of a written tradition.
Jim Leiker, Hays graduate student, said anthropological resources on the subject often are inaccurate and had to be used cautiously.
Pierotti said he disagreed with the whole idea of writing down oral traditions.
He said some Native Americans were reacting adversely to the recording of traditions, which were antithetical to the idea of these practices being oral.
The academic seminar was part of the Nature and Culture Colloquium that is sponsored by the Hall Center of Humanities to stimulate discussion of work-in-progress in the humanities and sciences by KU scholars.
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