[Terrapreta] indigenous practices

[lou gold]

Hi Everyone,

With respect for everyone here and also with highest regard for the wisdom
of ancient and present indigenous peoples, I would like to suggest that we
should be celebrating rather than arguing when one variable seems to be
confusingly intertwined with another.

Social science has long observed that there may be a difference between
purpose and function and that humans may or may not be aware of all the
functions that their acts of intention perform. Yes we can be inspired by
the wisdom of ancient practices AND we can reach for wise future forms. The
key is wisdom and the guideline toward wisdom can be different from what we
might arrive at by focusing exclusively on the questions of knowledge which,
in modern times, have had a heavy bias toward reductionism and the logic of
either/or.

The anthropologist Jeremy Narby reports asking an Amazonian shaman how he
discovered various plants cures, how he was led to the knowledge of specific
remedies for specific problems. The shaman answered by saying that he looked
for "correspondences", even visual similarities such as the possibility that
a plant with a heart-shaped leaf might offer a cure for heart problems
(physical or emotional). But the shaman being a solid scientist never
assumed that correspondence equaled cure. He took the next step of making a
trial and judging the empirical results. We moderns do something similar in
statistical analysis. We look for correlations (even counter-intuitive ones)
and we are mindful that correlation does not necessarily mean cause.

It keeps ocurring to me that the whole biochar project contains the kernel
of great wisdom that is applicable not merely for healing the soil but also
for healing the mind. The leap of thought is to move from the illusion of
separation toward the wisdom of connection, to somehow get free of thinking
that it must be either this way or that way into the realization that it can
indeed be both this way and that way. This is the guidance of
"correspondence." And this is what we should be looking for. So, when I hear
that biochar can increase soil fertility, retain moisture and nutrient,
filter water, manage waste, feed people, slow deforestation, create economic
opportunity, etc, etc, I don't want to argue about which variable is the
most important.  I want instead to celebrate that a great wisdom of
recipocity and connection seems to be emerging (or re-emerging) and get on
with the empirical experiments that will most likely show that there is no
one-way-fits-all but a variety of ways that include diverse best practices
for specific places.

Sometimes, when I contemplate terra preta (and I'm not embarrassed to say
this), it seems so beautiful and so healing that it brings tears to my eyes.
I never imagined dirt (not in my eyes) could do this.

hugs and blessings to all,

lou





On Wed, May 14, 2008 at 2:45 AM, Richard Haard <richrd at nas.com> wrote:

> Robert - i have been puzzled by this statement outlined below in red.
> Reading Christoph Steiners dissertation, Slash and Char as Alternative to
> Slash and Burn, –  soil charcoal amendments maintain soil fertility and
> establish a carbon sink
>
> I have indication that indigenous practices are intentional knowledge based
> soil fertility management. Whether you or Nikolaus I am curious what is
> basis of this assumption, as my Inuit friends still to this day rescue
> stranded 'expeditions' using their traditional knowledge in the far north
> and perhaps we need to give credit where it is due for the soil management
> skills of these indigenous people of the Amazon.
> From Chapter 1, page 35, 'Indigenous Knowledge of Terra Preta formation
>
> clip from abstract
>
> quote
>
>  In order to gather
> more information about the creation of Terra
> Preta (TP) we describe indigenous soil fertility
> management; analyzed managed and unmanaged
> soil and compare soil chemical and micro-
> biological parameters with those of prehistoric TP
> (TPp); and, discuss the formation of TP under
> indigenous soil fertility management. Fire and
> organic matter (OM) are the main components of
> indigenous soil fertility management. Small fires
> are used to create burned soil (Terra Queimada),
> and burned organic materials (ash and charred
> residues) are used to increase the fertility in
> patches for special plants like medicinal plants
> and vegetables. After a burn (Terra Queimada)
> the soil had a strong scent of pyroligneous acid
> (Terra Cheirosa) which is stimulating soil micro-
> organisms
>
> unquote
>
> Yet this is present day - how can you presume to know the motive of people
> who are long gone other that what their heirs are doing today?
>
>
>
> Dear Nikolaus,
>
> Once again, you give them all, and this is the only response!!!
>
> Boys and Girls, when someone of higher leaning speaks, "listen" and "learn"
> and don't just comment because you want to add without substance!
>
> Nikolaus in your own words during our correspondents, "Terra Preta was
> formed as a waste management practice, not a soil management practice" So
> any who claim different, then find fund and send students to South America
> and prove this otherwise!
>
> Biochar is a start, biochar enhancement is a next step but agri engineering
> is the real solution!!!
>
> Rob.
>
>
>
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>



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