Cosmology, Ethics and the "Biocentric Indian"

• Main Author: Hornborg, Anne-Christine
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Swedish Americanist Society 2004
• Subjects: History of Religions; Amerindian cosmologies; environmental ethics; biocentrism vs. anthropocentrism; Canada; Indian; Mi’kmaq
• Online Access: https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/154159

The difference between the Western and the “Indian” view of nature has sometimes in the literature on environmental ethics been expressed as the difference between an anthropocentric and biocentric worldview. This argument often juxtaposes two models, without consideration of context. My aim in this article is to investigate those aspects of Amerindian cosmologies that have led Western scholars to classify them as biocentric. Since this ascription often has been a general statement, unanchored in time and space, I will limit my discussion to premodern Mi’kmaq, formerly hunters but today living in scattered reserves in the coastal provinces of eastern Canada. The purpose is to uncover the nature of ontology, epistemology and ethics that stems from their specific being-in-the-world or dwelling, in order to discuss and contextualize the biocentric concept.