Gary Snyder: The Politics of Ethnopoetics

The concept of culture is difficult to define. Most would agree that the destruction of culture is wrong and provides a matrix of domination which benefits one culture over that of another. Gary Snyder brings up a good point about the change disappearance of primitive and ancient cultures by the expansion and strong influence of other more modern cultures. There is a prominent battle between the primitive and disappearing culture dependent and supportive of the ecosystem, and the expansionist, dominating, modern culture dependent upon the consumption of the ecosystem. The idea of consumption directly implies destruction.

Gary states that the definition of enthnopoetics is "... the study of poetries and poetics of nonliterate peoples, is like some field of zoology that is studying disappearing species."(128). Individuals are attempting to form literature out of orature in order to preserve the culture that is being diluted by the influencing force of expansionism. The contact of cultures is inevitable. And Snyder brings about a good point when he asks about the validity of deliberately contacting a culture in order to "develop" its traditions and way of life. In a world where all other cultures are changing and expanding, he quotes the Brazilian state officials in stating: "'we think the only way for the Indians to improve thier health, education, and begin self-development is through development.'"(134). Most intellectuals would disagree with this statement,as Gary assumes, because it encourages expansionism for modernism and destruction of primitivism. But Gary brings about an interesting point which enlightened and opened my mind onto the idea of cultural contact and survival.

Bringing this back to the idea of transforming orature to literature ... which is contacting the primitive and modernist worlds; how can orature be recorded without the modernist ideology of literature? Orature is ancient and will be distorted within the context of literature, but without literature oral traditions can be lost forever.
Snyder is illustrating the idea that cultural contact cannot be halted completely. Influences among and between cultures is what creates yet another form of society and culture. And to completely separate a primitive culture is to deny the identity of those people within the global perception of cultural existence.

Do you agree with Gary Snyder's idea that cultural contact is inevitable? Do you agree that ancient cultures need contact with the modern world in order to not be ignored as a cultural identity? How would you describe the conflict cultural contact and the influence and change it could force upon an ancient culture's existence?