The Contested History of the Ecological Indian Trope: Politics of Knowledge in Conservation Science and Anthropology 1990–2000

This article revisits the 1990s scholarly debate over the ‘Ecological Indian’ as a pivotal moment in the conceptual history of Indigenous knowledge, particularly between North American anthropologists and conservation scientists. The article argues that the debate centred on two positions: one criticising portrayals of Indigenous peoples as inherently conservationist, and the other defending the historical continuity and legitimacy of Indigenous ecological practices – positions critics often labelled romanticised or essentialist. Rather than a simple dispute over historical accuracy, the debate revolved around questions of epistemic legitimacy and narrative authority. Through analysis of key publications, the article identifies two cluster positions – constructivist and transhistorical – showing how definitions of sustainability and credibility were politicised. These tensions remain central to environmental humanities, especially in debates around Indigenous land rights and environmental justice. Revisiting this debate underscores the role of environmental history as a field in shaping whose knowledge is recognised as historically valid and politically useful.