Using the Community Capitals Framework in an Ethnohistorical Context

8/8/2019 Using the Community Capitals Framework in an Ethnohistorical Context

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Using the Community

Capitals Framework inan Ethnohistorical

Context

Kurt Mantonya, Senior

Associate, Heartland

Center for LeadershipDevelopment

July 26, 2010


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Chaco Canyon, New MexicoChaco Canyon, New Mexico


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The Community CapitalsThe Community Capitals

y Natural

y Cultural

y

Humany Social

y Political

y

Builty Financial


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The Community CapitalsThe Community Capitals

FrameworkFramework

Adapted from Flora, Flora and Fey 2004


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Chaco Canyons CapitalsChaco Canyons Capitals

NaturalNatural


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Natural CapitalNatural Capital

y Forestsup to 50 miles away

y Turquoise mines

y

Sandstone bluffsy Archaeoastronomy

Solstices

Equinoxes

Lunar standstills

y Agriculture/Hunter-Gather economy


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BuiltBuilt


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Built CapitalBuilt Capital

y Road Network400 miles connecting

some 75 communities

y Great Houses

y Outlying communities


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PoliticalPolitical


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Political CapitalPolitical Capital

y Chaco developed as an administrative andritual center and directed agricultural lifeof the region.

y Burials suggest to some the existence ofelite leadership

y Acoma and other Pueblos in the regionsrecall Chaco as the seminal WhiteHouse and regard it as a sacred place

y Hopi clans originated there


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FinancialFinancial


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Financial CapitalFinancial Capital

y Trade within the greater Chaco region

and Mexico (copper bells and scarlet

macaws)

y Trade with outlying Great Houses such as

Salmon and Aztec importing pottery and

turquoise

y Chaco could have been a redistributioncenter where food could be stored


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HumanHumany Different theories on the population of

Chaco Canyon but some as high as 5,000

y Evidence of class structure i.e. elites and

working class (foragers, farmers)

according to architecture

y Specialized craftspeople present (weavers,

potters, jewelers, astronomers)


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CulturalCulturaly Pueblo religion today is based on

harmony with the natural world

y Modern Puebloans are matrilineal,

matrilocal and matriarchal

y Presence of rock artsymbolic, doodling,

maps, clan representations and

astronomical references (Super Nova of1054)


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Understanding CollapseUnderstanding Collapse

MelvinMelvinT

uminT

umin and John Bennettand John Bennetty Every society must be able to answer the

basic biological needs of its members:

food, drink, shelter and medical care

y Every society must provide for the

production and distribution of goods and

services through a division of labor, rules

concerning property and trade or ideasabout the role of work.


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Understanding Collapse ContinuedUnderstanding Collapse Continued

y Every society must provide for thereproduction of new members andconsider laws and issues related to

reproduction (regulation, marriageableage, number of children, etc.)

y Every society must provide for thetraining (education, apprenticeship, passing

on of values) of an individual so that he orshe can become a functioning adult in thesociety


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Understanding Collapse ContinuedUnderstanding Collapse Continued

y Every society must provide for the

maintenance of internal and external

order (laws, courts, police, wars,

diplomacy)

y Every society must provide meaning and

motivation to its members


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Understanding CollapseUnderstanding Collapse

Jared DiamondJared Diamondy Five-factor framework

Human environmental impact

Climate change

Hostile neighbors

Decreasing support by friendly neighbors

Societal response to the problems, whether

environmental or not


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Why was Chaco Abandoned?Why was Chaco Abandoned?

A Community Capitals AnalysisA Community Capitals Analysis


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Loss of Natural CapitalLoss of Natural Capital

y Series of droughts (1125-1180 A.D., 1270-

1274 A.D. and 1275 drought lasted 14

years)

Agriculture suffered creating widespread

famine

y Hunting and Gathering limits become

increasingly larger in scopey Forest depletion


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A Response to Natural CapitalA Response to Natural Capital


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Loss of Political CapitalLoss of Political Capital

y Drought may have lead to religious

upheaval, internal political conflict and

perhaps even warfare.

y Architectural changes to the plaza at

Bonito had once been open to the

outside, now closed off indicating strife.


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Loss of Human CapitalLoss of Human Capital

y Loss of motivation by members in both

Chaco proper and outlying communities

to perform task and maintenance roles

such as supplying food, timber andpottery to the political and religious

centers.

y Less overall population due to droughtand famine


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Loss of Built and Financial CapitalLoss of Built and Financial Capital

y Trade routes start to dry up

y Construction is limited or ceases

y Existing structures in disrepair

y Canals and roads are not maintained


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Chaco 860 A.D. to 1150 A.D.Chaco 860 A.D. to 1150 A.D.


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Chaco 1200 A.D.Chaco 1200 A.D.


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Building Social Capital?Building Social Capital?

y Post 13th century clan formation was a

response to social and geographical

dislocation (abandonment) and created a

need for a new way to definerelationships between neighbors.

y These clans are present today in Puebloan

society (Acoma,Taos, etc.)


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ConclusionConclusion

y Natural capital played the most significant

role

y There were strategic responses to capital

losses

y The community capitals framework in this

system is interdependent on each

otherwhen one fails the others beginto falter


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What are Some Next StepsWhat are Some Next Steps

y Analyze other societies that have

collapsed or abandoned in this same

framework

y Look at historic communities that sprang

up (boom/bust towns), analyze for the

capitals. Were all capitals present? If not,

which ones were lacking?


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Thank youThank you

Heartland Center for Leadership

Development

(402) 474-7667

www.heartlandcenter.info

[email protected]

Documents

Using the Community Capitals Framework in an Ethnohistorical Context