Ecological Mutualism in Navajo Corrals: Implications for Navajo Environmental Perceptions and Human/Plant Coevolution
Author(s)
Kuznar, Lawrence A.
Abstract
A case of mutualistic plant/human/animal interaction occurs in Navajo corrals in which Navajo herders create ideal environments for the propagation of economically and ceremonially useful nondomesticated plants. This example informs current issues in ecological anthropology, including the concept of domiculture, the importance of symbiotic plants in subsistence, the role of humans in dispersing plants, and the domestication of companion crops. Furthermore, the benefits Navajo derive from these mutualistic interactions affirm certain ideological tenets of Navajo religion and philosophy, leading to misunderstandings between Navajo herders and range specialists interested in developing Navajo pastoralism.
