Enduring Seeds: Native American Agriculture and Wild Plant Conservation [Paperback]

Gary Paul Nabhan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1991

As biological diversity continues to shrink at an alarming rate, the loss of plant species poses a threat seemingly less visible than the loss of animals but in many ways more critical. In this book, one of America's leading ethnobotanists warns about our loss of natural vegetation and plant diversity while providing insights into traditional Native agricultural practices in the Americas. Gary Paul Nabhan here reveals the rich diversity of plants found in tropical forests and their contribution to modern crops, then tells how this diversity is being lost to agriculture and lumbering. He then relates "local parables" of Native American agriculture—from wild rice in the Great Lakes region to wild gourds in Florida—that convey the urgency of this situation and demonstrate the need for saving the seeds of endangered plants. Nabhan stresses the need for maintaining a wide gene pool, not only for the survival of these species but also for the preservation of genetic strains that can help scientists breed more resilient varieties of other plants. Enduring Seeds is a book that no one concerned with our environment can afford to ignore. It clearly shows us that, as agribusiness increasingly limits the food on our table, a richer harvest can be had by preserving ancient ways. This edition features a new foreword by Miguel Altieri, one of today's leading spokesmen for sustainable agriculture and the preservation of indigenous farming methods.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this collection of seven essays, Reid, a mountaineer for 25 yearsfor 25 years, or he's 25 years old? , aims high: it is the soul of the climber at timberline that holds his interest. Reid believes we can find our way "home," back to our roots, by visiting mountains and wilderness. Blending facts and his emotions,, the author beautifully and passionately describes his experiences on the slopes and the residue from each. In the Tetons, he glimpsed the affinity between love and death. Atop the sacred Navaho peak Tsoodzi, he underwent spiritual reawakening. In the Catskills, mountain became educator. Retracing part of the 1833 trail of ol' Joe Walker's party in the Sierras, Reid discovered the joy of perseverance, which the group found on "gazing at last on the great blue dream of the Pacific." A better guide than Reid would be hard to find. (May)per MS, but May on drop sheet/should have changed date on mss; sorry; may it is
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

These seven essays by mountaineer Reid have a common theme--mountains--but they are quite different in emphasis and extremely personal. In "The Mountain of Love and Death" Reid writes about his parents' decline in health and inevitable deaths; in "The Trail to the Westering Sea" he recounts his efforts to follow Joseph Walker's crossing of the Sierra; in "Socrates in the Catskills" he focuses on teaching; in "Decrescendo," animal extinction. Reid is a captivating writer who can tell a good story and express deep feelings. His writing is eloquent and inspiring. While this won't reside within the "mountaineering hall of fame" bookcase, it is worth reading to learn what a person brings back from the mountain to everyday life. Recommended for large public and academic libraries.
- Thomas K. Fry, UCLA Libs.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 225 pages
• Publisher: North Point Press (April 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865473447
• ISBN-13: 978-0865473447
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,095,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Things we need to heed!, February 27, 2001

By 

Vaughn Bryant Jr. (College Station, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Enduring Seeds: Native American Agriculture and Wild Plant Conservation (Paperback)

Paul Nabhan's latest book is a delight to read. His clear writing style and effective way of illustrating important points gives the reader a pleasant break from the more technical books on the topic of seed evolution and dispersion. But don't be deceived by its ease of reading, the book is full of facts about early native agricultural practices in North and Central America, contains warnings about our loss of natural vegetation, especially rain forests, and tells of our rapid loss of plant diversity.

Dr. Nabhan is the cofounder of an organization called Native Seeds and is currently Assistant Director of the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona. In these dual roles he has had ample opportunity to observe what is happening to our natural vegetation and to record how the diversity of plants in our world continues to shrink at an alarming rate.

His book is divided into a series of chapters each with names intended to draw the reader's interest. Examples include: "Turning Foxholes into Compost Heaps," "Drowning in a Shallow Gene Pool," and "Invisible Erosion." Each of his 12 chapters focuses on an important point. The first one presents an interesting history of plant evolution from the earliest Paleozoic times through the late Cenozoic and explains how the large, plant gene pool created the wonderful diversity we have all come to enjoy. In the next several chapters Dr. Nabhan first addresses the great diversity of plants found in forests of the wet and dry tropics and next speaks about how this great diversity led to the emergence of many cultigens we now depend upon for our staples. He also points with alarm to how rapidly this diversity is being lost as large areas are converted to agricultural lands or are clear cut for their lumber. Other chapters focus on the need for saving examples of seeds from plants that are becoming extinct and the advantages in tropical areas of using local plant species and local farming techniques instead of introduced hybrid plants and "modern" agricultural techniques. In later chapters Dr. Nabhan chronicles the demise of wild rice in the Great Lakes region, the near loss of a species of rare gourd in Florida, and why the production of maize in many areas of the northern Great Plains is not nearly as great today as it was in past generations. Finally, he offers a word of caution to plant geneticists saying that they could learn a lot from looking at the problems associated with the raising of domestic turkeys.

The main theme of Dr. Nabhan's book focuses on the need for plant diversity and how the maintaining of a wide gene pool for each species is critical for the survival of each species. All of this, he cautions, has direct effects upon mankind because many of these plants form elements of our primary food supply. Throughout the book the author inserts brief warnings for the reader to ponder. On page 27, for example, the author notes the prevailing attitude among many plant geneticists. He quotes one of them as saying, "If we need rare strains to breed a stronger variety of grain in the event of an epidemic, we go out and collect them." The problem, as Dr. Nabhan notes, is that already for many plants there are no longer wild strains to use.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enduring Seeds, January 19, 2011

By 

Neila L Leavitt (New City, New York United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Enduring Seeds: Native American Agriculture and Wild Plant Conservation (Paperback)

Enduring seeds is a facinating read. The author, Gary Nahban, writes about the frigtening loss of diversity in crop varieties, their wild relatives, and the native cultures that once grew them. He explains why seed banks are not the answer to loss of diversity.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Clear-eyed Examination of Native American Crops, December 16, 2011

By 

David B Richman (Mesilla Park, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Enduring Seeds: Native American Agriculture and Wild Plant Conservation (Paperback)

I will disclose at the start that I have met Gary Paul Nabhan and that Miguel Altieri (who wrote one of the two forwards) was a graduate student at the same time I was a postdoctoral student at the University of Florida. Both of us were being directed in our work by the late Willard Whitcomb. I spent some time at Miguel's agricultural plots and was impressed by his work. I have read or skimmed a few of Nabhan's books and was equally impressed by his depth of knowledge of native plants. "Enduring Seeds" is certainly up to his high standards.

We really don't hear much of native agriculture, apart from corn, and yet the Native American cropping system was much more complex, including not only maize (corn), but its companions beans and squash, as well as amaranth, sunflowers, cranberries, blueberries and pecans, and a number of crop plants now lost to us. As Nabhan points out the Hohokam had probably the most complex agriculture in North America with large irrigation systems and many crops, including some now not seen north of Mexico. The irrigation system they developed worked well for about 150 years and then drought and salting out, followed by floods, caused serious disruptions. Within a few hundred years they had abandoned their land. Snaketown, where Phoenix now stands, went from a thriving community of over 1000 to dry desert. Now Phoenix is copying Snaketown in an even bigger way as probably one of the least sustainable cities in the United States.

In "Enduring Seeds" Gary Paul Nabhan has delved deeply into the history to which we should pay more attention, instead of the emphasis on wars (although they certainly had their impacts). It is the history of the systems that sustain civilization that is at least as important as which general won which battle. It is also a fascinating story and Nabhan has captured it well in his book. He has also explained why, from a number of standpoints, we need to maintain the biodiversity of the planet, especially in crop plants. I urge anyone who has a stake in the future (and that is all of us) to consider reading this important volume. You will not be disappointed.