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Book Review
| The Maya Tropical Forest: People, Parks, and Ancient Cities. By James D. Nations. Austin: The University of Texas Press, 2006. xviii + 323 pp. Maps, illustrations, bibliography, and index. Cloth $60.00, paper $22.95.
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| Perhaps it's evidence of the maturation of environmental history as a field that we have begun to see environmental histories aimed at a more popular audience. James D. Nations's, The Maya Tropical Forest is one of those texts. Nations, a conservationist at the Nation Parks Conservation Association, has spent some twenty-five years researching and working in the "Maya Arch," a swath of tropical forest land that encompasses parts of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. From these experiences as a conservationist, Nations has written a book for a wide readership. More descriptive than analytical, it reads like a very well researched edition of the Lonely Planet, the ubiquitous travel guides that eco (and economy) travelers have been using for years. The book is split into three parts. Nations introduces the reader to the history and the geography in "Time, Land, and Forest." In part 2, he devotes separate chapters describing the tropical forest reserves and indigenous peoples in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Part 3 is composed of a single chapter on contemporary ecological problems the region faces and possible solutions. |
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Part travelogue and part policy statement, The Maya Tropical Forest operates on the assumption that first and foremost, the forest needs to be protected from human encroachment and destruction. In charge of these efforts, Nations sees a "growing cadre of professional conservationists," such as himself, whom he labels "the saving grace of ecosystem conservation in the Maya Tropical Forest" (p. 166). The solution, according to Nations is what he calls "archeo/eco-tourism" which will bring economic benefits by "protecting [the forest's] natural and cultural resources for visitors" (p. 268). The book constantly refers to the forest's inhabitants as "invaders" and at multiple points Nations advocates some kind of relocation scheme for many of the communities in the forest, especially those located in certain core areas. |
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Unfortunately, Nations makes no effort to problematize either the modernist vision of conservationists or the effects of ecotourism, and its handmaiden microindustries such as handicrafts and guiding. While he does advocate for local conservation efforts, he rarely questions the logic of relocation that conservation would suggest. Additionally, there is no effort made to deal with the scholarly literature that suggests that ecotourism has the tendency to freeze a culture into a marketable package sold by luxury lodges while inhabitants remain in low-wage service jobs with little opportunity for advancement. |
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The Maya Tropical Forest represents Nations's firm belief in saving the forest first. He is a committed scientific conservationist who, because of his support of ecotourism, believes that saving the forest is the only way to save the Maya themselves. As a whole the book works much better as a primer for the region, with tourist tips, Nations's own travel tales, and some fascinating descriptions of the region's people and history. |
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Ryan J. Carey is assistant professor of history at Bard College at Simon's Rock. He is currently working on a manuscript titled "Building a Better Oregon: Cartography, Corporations, and the State, 1846–1905." |
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