Cultural Keystone Places: Conservation and Restoration in Cultural Landscapes

Abstract

Sense of place" as an anthropological, geographical, and philosophical construct has been a focus of research in recent decades, particularly following the publication of Keith Basso's Wisdom Sits in Places. Simultaneously, the emergence of the concept of social-ecological systems and their value in the application of conservation and restoration practices has highlighted the unique benefits of recognizing the interconnectedness of social and ecological spheres. Real and metaphorical parallels identified between social and ecological systems in terms of "health," "resilience," and adaptive responses help to promote understanding and to communicate corresponding processes and traits across these systems. Extending from an earlier concept of "Cultural Keystone Species," and drawing on the recognition of "sense of place" as an important construct, here we propose the recognition of "Cultural Keystone Places" (CKPs): places of high cultural salience for a particular group of people at a particular time and critical to their identity and well-being. We define and characterize cultural keystone places, provide three case examples, and discuss the significance and potential applications of CKPs in biocultural conservation and renewal.

Landscape Mapping: Gaining “Sense of Place” for Conservation in the Manaslu Conservation Area, Nepal

“…As in other studies of biodiversity rich locations that have complex histories of human utilization, the distinction between pristine-natural and cultural-human modified systems is unclear (e.g., Heckenberger et al 2007;Medley and Kalibo 2007). Our findings provide further rationale for landscape planning that does not segregate pristine from human-modified landscape attributes, and more effectively identifies and includes "cultural keystone places" in conservation and land-use planning (Cuerrier et al 2015).…”

Values-led management: the guidance of place-based values in environmental relationships of the past, present, and future

“…As with species-relatives, places are integral components of identity (Johnson andHunn 2010, Stephenson et al 2010): they comprise key food places, places central to stories and song, places of creation stories, and places associated with names, chieftainships, authority, and identity (Hilistis [Waterfall] et al 2001, Mead 2003, Heiltsuk Tribal Council 2005, White 2006, Panelli and Tipa 2007, Brown and Brown 2009, Cuerrier et al 2015. Land is imbued with cultural values (Turner 2005, Cuerrier et al 2015, Lyver et al 2016, as opposed to a resource defined solely by monetary value.…”

“…As with species-relatives, places are integral components of identity (Johnson andHunn 2010, Stephenson et al 2010): they comprise key food places, places central to stories and song, places of creation stories, and places associated with names, chieftainships, authority, and identity (Hilistis [Waterfall] et al 2001, Mead 2003, Heiltsuk Tribal Council 2005, White 2006, Panelli and Tipa 2007, Brown and Brown 2009, Cuerrier et al 2015. Land is imbued with cultural values (Turner 2005, Cuerrier et al 2015, Lyver et al 2016, as opposed to a resource defined solely by monetary value. The deep connection between people and place is further reflected in language; for example, in te reo Māori (Māori language), a person's whakapapa, loosely translated as genealogy, relates not only to human ancestors but also to the land to which they are connected (Roberts et al 1995, Rotarangi and Russell 2009, Ruckstuhl et al 2013, Timoti et al 2017.…”

“…As such, an approach to environmental interactions built on or inspired by ancestral knowledge does not preclude the development or incorporation of new tools and practices. Indeed, many present-day indigenous-led management approaches and research activities walk backwards into the future by using or producing rigorous scientific evidence, and often involve incorporation of knowledge through collaboration with other indigenous or nonindigenous communities (see for example, Hilistis [Waterfall] et al 2001, Cuerrier et al 2015, Polfus et al 2016, Atlas et al 2017.…”

Escaping social-ecological traps through tribal stewardship on national forest lands in the Pacific Northwest, United States of America

“…This dynamic that has been dubbed "shifting baseline syndrome" (Papworth et al 2009), and is another factor that self-reinforces the trap. When cultural keystone species are reduced or eliminated from a tribe's ancestral territory, then the associated cultural traditions and knowledge decline along with the material wellbeing of tribal communities (Colombi 2012, Cuerrier et al 2015. Historical intertribal networks have long been an important source of adaptive capacity by facilitating exchange of resources, cultural practices, and knowledge systems (Turner and Cocksedge 2001, Trosper 2003, Papiez 2009).…”