Landscape Images in Amazonian Narrative: The Role of Oral History in Environmental Research

Abstract

"Oral history still plays a minor role in the environmental research disciplines. In this study, I present the richness of Amazonian narrative extracted from oral history, as a source of environmental facts and symbols concerning how Amazonians interact and perceive their ecosystem. Narratives are analysed as a set of structures that reflect on the biological, cultural and physical elements of the Amazonian landscape. The oral history interview process allows Amazonians to reflect on their landscape aesthetics preferences, leading to bottom-up proposals for Amazonian conservation, and reconstruction of landscape changes. Finally, the study proposes the oral history approach as a method that democratises the researching and interpretation of landscapes."