Both Sides of the Beach: Knowledges of Nature in Oceania

Abstract

In this essay I provide some insights into how the peoples of Oceania relate to their environments of land and sea. For the reader interested in following up these questions, I provide extensive references to ethnographies and comparative studies from most corners of this far-flung region, as well as to related discussions of theoretical relevance. A note on regional definitions is in order. “The peoples of Oceania” for the present purposes includes the Pacific Islanders on both sides of the Equator (among them also the peoples of the large island of New Guinea), as well as the indigenous peoples of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. This use of “Oceania” rather than the more restricted (but, admittedly, very evocative) “South Pacific” follows present-day usages by indigenous scholars (notably Hau’ofa 1993, 1998), and as a definition it accommodates the indigenous peoples of Australia. For reasons of space Australia is sparsely treated in this essay, yet Aboriginal Australian views of the environment have a significant place in the overall comparative perspective. [Editor’s note: See the chapter by J.L. Kohen on Indigenous Australians and the Land.]