Conflicting Cultures of Nature: Ecotourism, Education and the Kayapó of the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Despite advancements in the design and implementation of ecotourism, the educational component of ecotourism has received little attention in comparison to ecological, economic and other social factors. This article discusses the unexplored conventions of education as a form of empowerment in ecotourism through the case study of a pilot ecotourism project co-managed by an ecologist, an anthropologist and a Kayapó indigenous community in Brazil. Designed as a university-level study-abroad course that holistically incorporates both a conservation biology perspective and local systems of knowledge, the pilot project provides an opportunity to consider the interdependence among the ecological, economic, educational and social consequences of one ecotourism experience, as well as to glean broader insights into the role of education in ecotourism. In particular, the intention is to look beneath the surface of assumptions about the meaning of education, asking: (1) who or what may be considered a legitimate source of information?; (2) what information is considered ‘educational’ in the ecotourism experience?; (3) to whom is education aimed (who are the learning targets)?; and (4) what are the objectives of education in the context of ecotourism? Based on the analysis, certain recommendations are made for reconsidering the values and goals of the endeavour.

Key Words:

• Ecotourism
• education
• indigenous groups
• conservation
• Brazil

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to the community of Aukre, the students of the 2004 pilot course, the University of Maryland, and Conservation International for the inspiration behind this paper. They would like to acknowledge especially Barbara Zimmerman, Diane Pinto and Jorge Salazar, and others of the Pinkaiti research station staff and research team, for their help during the course. This article also benefited from comments provided during the presentation of this work at the 2005 Society for Applied Anthropology conference on Heritage, Environment and Tourism.