Decolonizing Paradise: A Radical Ethnography of Environmental Stewardship in the Caribbean

This edited book, by Rosalina D燰z, represents a radical form of ethnography, as it presents the voices of academic scholars and scientists side by side with those of grassroots activists, native healers and community herbalists and brujas, in addressing issues of cultural & indigenous identity, agroecology, sustainability and self-determination in the Greater Antillean region of the Caribbean.

As a result of European colonialism, the cultural development of the indigenous population was radically disrupted. Five thousand years of cultural knowledge, including plant wisdom, went underground. Herbal healers, shamed and ridiculed as "brujas" and "santeras," continued to practice in obscurity. The industrialization, urbanization and tourism projects of the 20th century exacerbated the exploitation of the natural environment, which began in earnest with the plantation economy imposed by European colonialism, leaving it vulnerable to climate change threats.

However, the history of environmental activism and push-back of the islands is also noteworthy, as Carmen M. Concepci鏮 points out, "the Puerto Rican environmental movement got under way very early and has been distinctively political since its beginnings, twenty years before most other nations." In the Greater Antilles, environmental activism has sprung up alongside grassroots political movements, as well as a resurgence of indigenous identity, and, as explained by the authors in this book, continues to be an act of resistance against on-going political, social and economic repression.

"In Decolonizing Paradise, Rosalina Diaz blends the voices of scientists with local healers and activists to explore a radical ethnography of plants and people in the Caribbean. Through their lived experiences in this crucially important bioregion, herbalists, brujas, and western-trained scientists resurrect and reveal indigenous and diasporic plant wisdom that has long been denigrated. This collection is an important ethnobotanical starting point for the colonized people of the Caribbean to redress centuries of cultural and environmental injustice."

--Robert Voeks, Author of The Ethnobotany of Eden: Rethinking the Jungle Medicine Narrative

"Decolonizing Paradise is a must-read primer for anyone interested in an insider perspective of environmental stewardship in the Caribbean region, as told by the voices of those currently active in the movement. In recognizing the long-standing environmental conflicts, clashes and actions of local activists and community groups, this book rectifies historical omissions and misperceptions, and challenges the still prevailing narrative of inaction and dependence that has wrongly stigmatized this population for centuries."

--Alexis Massol-Gonzalez, Founding Director of Casa Pueblo of Adjuntas; Recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize (2002)

"At a time when the world is intensely focused on finding solutions to complex and existential environmental issues, Decolonizing Paradise is an indispensable tool for those wanting to engage in collective action in the Caribbean. This timely anthology of scholars, scientists, farmers, grassroots activists and environmentalists provides both historical context and an agenda for the sustainable environmental future of the region, with a particular emphasis on Puerto Rico.

Decolonizing Paradise will quickly become essential reading for those interested in the Caribbean's environmental struggles, particularly as understood and analyzed by those who are currently in the trenches. Decolonizing Paradise also provides hope and inspiration for all those--students, policy makers, activists, and scholars--who want to see change happen in the Caribbean."

--Felix V Matos Rodriguez, Chancellor of the City University of New York (CUNY)