president's column: flight of fancy

I write this column high above the Arctic, on my way home from a conference in Europe. As such meetings should, this one offered a deal of enjoyment, even as it provoked thought and stimulated reflection. An area studies gathering, it show-cased a broad range of multi-disciplinary offerings. Anthropologists, political scientists, historians, ethnomusicologists, sociologists, environmental humanists, literary scholars, and colleagues-identified-with-many-kinds-of-"studies" - Africana, American, Canadian, comparative, cultural, film, food, Indigenous, integrative, international, media, literary, women's - filled the program. With such varied fare on offer, there was much to discover, but high above the clouds I find myself less inclined to savour the specifics of presentations than to ponder the imponderables raised by their collective shadow.

The existential choice between beef and pasta made, I recall an old Russian proverb (as rendered by Louis L'Amour in Sitka): "God's in his heaven and the Czar is far away." Among fur traders in 19th century Alaska, these words excused otherwise inadmissible behavior. Might they, I wonder, also illuminate some of the tendencies displayed in gatherings held on one continent to reflect on another, in which the usual strictures of disciplinary authority are attenuated? The question is, of course, contrived. As a card-carrying geographer, "passing" (to use the vocabulary of apartheid South Africa) as an historian, I am perturbed by some of my recollections of the conference. I readily and easily admire several of the contributions made by political scientists and historians; of others, mostly from interdisciplinary space, I am a deal less enamoured. Recognizing that any assessment of quality is tied up with questions of politics, power, and identity, I wonder whether I am an intellectual dinosaur, my capacity to appreciate good work blinkered by age and training. I hope (and dare to think) otherwise.  

In a nutshell - because that is all the space I have here -  I am beset by several disquiets. Where, I found myself asking myself, is the evidence? What are the consequences, for those of historical mind, when a mountain of interpretation is constructed from a single text with nary a thought about either the intentions of its author (who is alive in body but "dead" to such scholarship) or the ways in which thousands of readers have responded to it? Is the past evaporating? Most presenters had a very contemporary focus; few who looked back ranged as far as the nineteenth century. What are the implications, for historical scholarship and critical reflection upon both the past and the present, of the tendency to fetishize certain interpretations of the past? At one level fetishization simply creates a sense of déjà vu all over again by recitation of the incontrovertible "truths" of a particular dogma. But what, I wonder by way of example, lies obscured behind the new nobility accorded Indigenous peoples in "the era of Standing Rock"?

And then there is the plague of presentism. The search for a usable past has a long and defensible pedigree. We all hope that history can make a difference, can influence the course of...well, yes, history, by developing perspective and wisdom, by contextualizing issues of continuing contemporary concern, and adding to public understanding. But there is something disconcerting in the ever-increasing inclination to treat history as a handmaid of the present, to use the past to affirm current values and convictions.  

Here's the thing: environmental history emerged as an interdisciplinary field in the 1960s influenced by rising anxieties about pressing environmental issues.  50 or so years on from those beginnings, interdisciplinarity is much in vogue, promoted by university administrators and encouraged by granting agencies. But, like comparative history, it is a demanding genre, difficult to pull off with aplomb, and distressingly easy to botch.  We warn dissertation writers against undertaking comparative histories because of the effort (and time) required to master two (or more) literatures, contexts, and archives. It has been said that interdisciplinary scholars "live without the comfort of expertise" but this, it seems to me, is both facile and dangerous. Work in interdisciplinary space must surely rest on competence in the particular problematiques, techniques, and theoretical approaches of surrounding disciplines; that is why it is, so often in the sciences, a collaborative enterprise. Our challenge, as environmental historians, is to strive for such mastery, by drawing, thoughtfully, carefully, and intelligently upon the work of specialists in other fields, and forever resisting the embrace of dogma in place of evidence, reason, and logic.

Nancy Langston was appointed Distinguished Professor of Environmental History at Michigan Tech, recognizing her outstanding contributions to both the university and her discipline.

Proposals are due July 13, 2018. Click here for more information on submitting proposals.

Call for Nominations for ASEH's Next Election

Would you like to chart ASEH's course in the coming years? Have you admired a fellow ASEH member's commitment to our common principles, or their efforts to advocate on behalf of others? Perhaps you've been impressed by how effortlessly a colleague organized a workshop or conference panel. Or possibly you've appreciated how a fellow ASEH member instills a rich appreciation for environmental history among public audiences. If the answer is yes - ASEH's Nominating Committee would appreciate your help. During summer 2018, the committee welcomes self- nominations and nominations of other ASEH members to elected leadership positions. The following positions will be filled by election in 2019:

* One candidate for Vice President/President elect As Vice President

* Four Executive Committee Members (8 candidates needed)

* Two Nominating Committee Members (4 candidates needed)

Click here for more information about these positions and the nominating process. Deadline for suggestions: October 5, 2018.

Call for Papers - World Congress of Environmental History

ASEH is a member of the International Consortium of EH Organizations, which is arranging this conference in Brazil, July 2019. Click here for more information. Proposals are due September 10, 2018.

ASEH Seeks Your Help in Publicizing Equity Fellowship

This fellowship recognizes a graduate student from an underrepresented group for their achievements in environmental history and provides $1,000 for Ph.D. research and travel. Students must be members of ASEH at the time of their application. For more information, please see http://aseh.net/awards-funding/equity-fellowship.

We ask all members to assist the Society by circulating information about the equity fellowship and identifying viable candidates for it. The deadline is November 16, 2018.