Everglades Cultural History

ANT 4211 (02)/EVR-4934 (05)

 

 

Spring 2004                                                                   Dr. Laura Ogden

MW 11-12:15                                                                Office:  DM 336B

Room:  GC-277                                                             Phone:  348-2249

Office Hours: MW 9-10 am                                                       

  & by appointment       

                                   

 

Course Description

The historian Raymond Williams proposes that “the idea of nature contains, though often unnoticed, an extraordinary amount of human history (1980).”  In this course, we explore the Florida Everglades’ extraordinary amount of cultural history—including the prehistoric first inhabitants, early explorers and settlers, to the contemporary challenges facing Everglades restoration initiatives.  Throughout, we will focus on how “ideas” about the Everglades, often competing and contradictory, shape the way we treat and transform the landscape.

 

Course Format

The format of this course is both lecture and seminar and participation is strongly encouraged.  Because of this structure, we are all equally responsible for reading, analyzing, and discussing the course assignments (prior to coming to class).  Please bring readings to class with you. 

 

Most importantly, in this class we take three fieldtrips:  1) to the former fishing village of Flamingo, now within Everglades National Park; 2) to the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation; and 3) to Lake Okeechobee to learn about Everglades agriculture.  These fieldtrips are on Saturday(s):  February 21, March 6, and April 3.  There will be a small fee for each fieldtrip, about $5 for each trip.

 

Course Assignments

Participants are required to attend class, take notes on lectures and readings, and contribute to class discussion.  Specific course assignments include:

            1) Course participation, including mandatory field trips (20%)

2) Eight pop quizzes.  Quizzes will be based on assigned reading and lectures.       One quiz of the eight will be dropped (20%)

3) Midterm Exam.  Exam will be in-class and will include multi-choice, short answer, and an essay question.  Bring a “blue book” with you to class for the midterm, available at the student book store (30%).

4) Final Paper.  Fifteen page research paper on a topic which examines the human and ecological dimensions of an Everglades topic.  Paper topic must be discussed with Dr. Ogden (30%).

 

Required Texts (Available at FIU Bookstore)

McCally, David.  1999.  The Everglades:  An Environmental History.  Gainesville, FL:  University Press of Florida.

Cerulean, Susan (editor).  2002.  The Book of the Everglades.  Minneapolis, MN:  Milkweed Editions.

Coursepak:  available at the Sociology/Anthropology Department (DM 3rd Floor)

 

 

Class Schedule

 

January 5, 2004 – Course Introduction

 

January 7, 2004 – What is the Everglades? 

William Cronon’s “The Trouble with Wilderness” (coursepak)

 

January 12, 2004 – Mangrove Swamps and Sawgrass Prairies

Al Burt “Foreward” (Cerulean pg. xi –xv)

Cerulean and Miller “The Everglades:  An Ecology in Five Parts” (Cerulean pg. 3- 9)

 

PART ONE:  EARLY HISTORY

 

January 14, 2004 – A Changing Landscape

McCally, chapter 1 (pg. 1-30)

 

January 19, 2004

MLK DAY -- No class

 

January 21, 2004 – Prehistoric People

McCally, chapter 2 (pg. 31 – 57)

 

January 26, 2004 – The Miami Circle (Zaminillo lecture)

Carr and Ricisak “Preliminary Report on Salvage Archaeology Investigations of the Brickell Point Site (8DA 12), Including the Miami Circle” (coursepak)

 

PART TWO:  CONTEMPORARY HISTORY

 

January 28, 2004

McCally, chapter 3 (pg. 58 – 83)

“Resolution by the Legislature of Florida,” 1845 (coursepak)

 

February 2, 2004

Vileisis, “A Nation Founded on Wetlands” (coursepak)

McCally, chapter 4

 

February 4, 2004 – Early Drainage

McCally, chapter 5

 

February 9, 2004 – C & SF Project

McCally, chapter 6

 

February 11, 2004 -- Seminole Settlement in Florida

Ceruleaun pg. 87 – 120

 

February 16, 2004 – Seminole Tourism

West (Introduction, chapters 1, 2, 3,4 and7) (coursepak)

 

February 18, 2004 – no class

 

 

Saturday February 21 – FIELD TRIP

Big Cypress Museum, Big Cypress Seminole Reservation

 

February 23, 2004 – Gladesmen

Simmons & Ogden (coursepak)

 

February 25, 2004 – Florida Bay and Fishing

Cerulean 179-230

 

March 1, 2004 -- Lake Okeechobee and Sugar Cane Farming

Snyder and Davidson (coursepak)

Cerulean (pg. 22 -83)

 

March 3, 2004 – no class

 

Saturday March 6 FIELDTRIP

Lake Okeechobee and US Sugar

 

March 8, 2004 – Midterm Exam

 

March 10, 2004 – Library Research

 

 

PART THREE:  EVERGLADES RESTORATION

 

March 15, 2004 – Overview Everglades Restoration

 

March 17, 2004 – CERP and ASR

 

SPRING BREAK

 

March 29, 2004 – Wading Birds as Indicators of Health (John Ogden lecture)

Frederick and Ogden, “Monitoring Wetland Ecosystems Using Avian Populations” (coursepak)

 

March 31, 2004 – no class

 

SATURDAY April 3, FIELDTRIP

Flamingo and Mangrove Coast

 

April 5, 2004 – Exotic Species (Robert Doren lecture)

 

April 7, 2004 – Water Quality and Mercury

 

April 12, 2004 – Environmental Critique and Environmental Justice

 

April 14, 2004 – Course Overview

 

Final Paper Due:  9:30 April 24.