American Indian Environmental Ethics: An Ojibwa Case Study

by J. Baird Callicott, Michael P. Nelson

In an effort to articulate the environmental ethic of the Ojibwa, this book focuses on the Ojibwa narrative, myths, legends, stories and rituals. An examination of these sources demonstrates the worldview of the group, their social inclusiveness and their ethical commitments. Introductory essays and interpretive essays accompany the narratives themselves to offer a theory of environmental ethics, an overview of the field of environmental ethics and place the Ojibwa within this contemporary debate. KEY The volume examines environmental ethics, a cultural worldview and culture, language and cultural relativism, the Ojibwa narratives, key cognitive elements of an Ojibwa worldview, Ojibwa environmental ethics, and controversy about American Indian environmental ethics. For individuals looking for a systematic treatment of the environmental attitudes and practices of American Indians.

Genres: Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

J. Baird Callicott is an American philosopher whose work has been at the forefront of the new field of environmental philosophy and ethics. He is a University Distinguished Research Professor and a member of the Department of Philosophy and Religion Studies and the Institute of Applied Sciences at the University of North Texas. Callicott held the position of Professor of Philosophy and Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point from 1969 to 1995, where he taught the world’s first course in environmental ethics in 1971. From 1994 to 2000, he served as Vice President then President of the International Society for Environmental Ethics. Other distinguished positions include visiting professor of philosophy at Yale University; the University of California, Santa Barbara; the University of Hawai’i; and the University of Florida.