Culture Ablaze

Swidden agriculture is more often called slash-and-burn farming. Although this farming practice has been a part of rich cultures and livelihoods for thousands of years, mainstream environmental organizations criticize and question the knowledge of indigenous peoples, attributing environmental degradation to their poverty and "lack of scientific understanding." Environmental anthropology proves, however, that this is simply an untrue stereotype, used to exploit native peoples.

I found an article in the ScienceDirect database that attempts to investigate to what extent "slash-and-burn" agriculture in Madagascar is used as a tool of protest and resistance. It is very interesting that swidden agriculture, which has been keeping Madagascar natives alive for almost 2000 years, is now being used by farmers to "rebel" against the government, since the Malagasi government has ruled swidden practices illegal. Some other scholars contest that how can the continuation of cultural practices be considered a violent rebellion. Most environmental NGOs deem the last of traditional swidden farmers to be criminals.

Whether or whether not farmers are intentionally rebelling against the government with fire-driven agriculture or simply continuing to keep their culture alive, seems small in the face of the greater problem: most environmental degradation in Madagascar has derived from imperialistic exploitations such as monoculture and mass logging, which has left the natives with very little land for swidden practices.

I would consider Madagascar natives practicing swidden agriculture (and hence ignoring the government, often driven by corruption and post-colonial greed) to be a peaceful form of resistance.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VG2-46WWB9D-2&_user=582538&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000029718&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=582538&md5=cd63c5a44c048206f21bbc57bcbbd6cc