The George Wright Forum

Articles

• Table of Contents, Vol. 3, No. 2

• A Curious Finding from National Park Service Anthropology

  • Van Horn, Lawrence F.

  This article presents a cultural anthropological observation from fieldwork conducted in 1979–1980 at Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, focusing on the commercial fishing practices on Rainy and Namakan Lakes along the U.S.–Canada border. A notable difference emerged: American fishermen universally used a safety device—a stern-mounted bar designed to prevent gill net entanglement—while Canadian fishermen, despite using similar boats and maintaining close cross-border ties, did not. The author explores this divergence as potentially symbolic, reflecting cultural identity and resistance to adopting innovations perceived as American. This case illustrates how practical customs may also serve as expressions of social or national identity, raising questions for further ethnographic inquiry into the cultural meanings embedded in technology adoption.

• MAB and its Biosphere Reserves Project: A New Dimension in Global Conservation

  • Gregg, William P.

  This paper explores the evolution, purpose, and impact of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program, emphasizing its Biosphere Reserves Project as a transformative approach to global conservation. It traces the origins of the biosphere reserve concept as a response to the limitations of traditional protected areas and highlights the need for integrating conservation with sustainable development. The MAB Program is shown as a catalyst for interdisciplinary collaboration across nations, institutions, and communities, aiming to conserve biodiversity while fostering research, education, and demonstration projects. The structure and criteria for establishing biosphere reserves are detailed, including core and buffer zones designed to balance ecological protection and human activity. The paper also describes the implementation of the program in the United States, including the establishment of a national network of biosphere reserves, its administrative framework, and the roles of scientists and land managers. The author argues that biosphere reserves represent a crucial platform for addressing contemporary environmental challenges through cooperative, scientifically informed action at local, national, and international levels.

• Technology, Environment, and the Historic American Engineering Record

  • Jackson, Donald C.

  This article explores the mission and activities of the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), a National Park Service program established in 1969 to document historic engineering and industrial sites across the United States. Emphasizing the intersection of technology and the environment, the article highlights how HAER's detailed documentation—through photographs, drawings, and historical reports—preserves technological heritage and informs future research. Jackson underscores the significance of understanding how environmental factors have shaped technological development, using examples such as coal-fueled iron smelting in England and water-powered mills in the United States. The article calls for deeper collaboration between historians of technology and natural scientists to study the mutual influences of environment and industry, using case studies like early copper mining on Isle Royale to demonstrate the value of integrating historical insights into ecological research and conservation planning.

• (Book) Review

  • Dakota, K.

  A review of "Extinction" by Paul Ehrlich and Anne Ehrlich.

• Society Notes

  A list of members, and notice of a research grant program.

• Historic Archaeology and Reshaping the Myths of American Origins

  • Leone, Mark P.

  In this critical appraisal, Mark P. Leone examines the evolving role and identity of historical archaeology in the United States, emphasizing its transition from historical verification to anthropological inquiry. He identifies two major methodological camps: one rooted in scientific analysis and hypothesis testing (as championed by Stanley South), and the other in cognitive and symbolic interpretation (led by James Deetz). Leone critiques both for their limitations—either in theoretical integration or methodological clarity—and calls for a more coherent linkage between archaeological data, public interpretation, and national identity. He argues that the field's current disconnect from American historical narratives weakens its public and scholarly impact. Through case studies such as the excavations at Santa Elena, Flowerdew Hundred, and Martin's Hundred, Leone illustrates the potential for historical archaeology to reshape dominant myths about American origins. He advocates for the deliberate use of archaeology to inform public understanding and identity formation, especially as political and cultural power shifts toward the American South and Southwest. Ultimately, he calls for a reimagined historical archaeology that embraces its public role and helps create more inclusive and relevant national narratives.