Native American Agriculture
The earth yields fields of green and fruit bearing trees
Prior to the arrival of the Spanish explorers and their eventual conquest of the Mesoamerican empires, there was a lot of environmentally friendly agricultural practices being implemented by the natives. They could farm the land without depleting it of nutrients as well as do so without the use of harmful chemicals. They were able to feed scores of people that were increasing in population consistently. It brings forth the question, if the Native American empires were never found, where would they be now both technologically and politically. If we progressed at the rate of the Native Americans, we would be better off environmentally and not have a lot of the dilemmas that there are today.
The Amerindians were superior in their knowledge of agriculture and irrigation. According to Michael Schuman’s book, Mayan and Aztec Mythology, “Mayan farmers grew maize in small garden plots called milpas (MIHL-pahs), which they cultivated in the middle of raw jungle terrain… Mayan workers purposely stopped farming each milpa after working it for only a few years. This conservation method prevented the soil from being overworked, which would have made it barren and useless for the future cultivation of plants.” (14–15) This meant that the techniques implemented by the Native Americans would have been better overall for the environment, not like the settlers who overworked the soil that resulted in crises such as the dust bowl. The Aztecs and their chinampas were a prime example of environmentally friendly agricultural practices. “Made of layers of silt and reeds, they were held in place by tree roots. On the chinampas, Aztec farmers grew squash, corn, grains, and beans, and for religious ceremonies, flowers.” (18) By using their natural environment to their advantage, the Native Americans were able to thrive off the land yet were able to do so without depleting the soil or using chemicals.
The Native Americans could make temples and courtyards in the middle of the jungle. “They crafted immense pyramids, some of which were two hundred feet high, from stone, earth, and rubble.” (13) Although some of them lived in thatched roof cottages made of clay, members of nobility and tribal kings were owners of their own estate which could be a royal palace. When Cortez arrived the Aztecs were already a vast empire. The Aztec ruler, Montezuma II, feared the new arrivals, and requested that the Spanish explorers not enter their land. But the conquistadors ignored these requests. “In fact, many Aztecs welcomed Cortez, whom they thought to be the god Quetzalcoatl because the feathered serpent god had always been assumed to have fair skin and a beard. Cortez and his army took advantage of this supposed resemblance to the Aztecs’ important god, helping themselves to the Aztecs’ gold and other material riches.” (19) When Cortez and his well-armed forces entered the Aztec land, the Aztec commoners welcomed them.
This eventually led to the Aztec empire being destroyed, along with many of their cultural artifacts. But they were a thriving empire before the Spanish conquistadors arrived. This leaves the question, if the Spanish explorers had not found the Aztecs, or any of the Mesoamerican cultures, where would they be now? Their efficiency at inhabiting the jungle terrain and not eliminating the overgrowth around them was far better than what the settlers who arrived afterward did. In the end, it would appear that in the modern world, if the land were settled the way the Native Americans did, it would do well for the environment.
