A few semesters ago one of my students’ learning objectives
had her looking at 3 extinct species. She studied each species, its habitat,
and the reason for its extinction. As she shared what she had learned about
these species I was amazed (all over again) at the destructive capacity of europeans.
Studies of species extinction is a good tool for learning about both science
and racism white supremacy. Let’s look at one example: the passenger pigeon.
The Good Times.
The passenger pigeon (ectopistes
migratorius) was noted for its large numbers. It was not unusual for a one
flock to block the sun for hours as it flew by. Passenger pigeons were so
numerous that flocks of the species had to be measured in square miles. The
passenger pigeon is native to North America and upon the arrival of europeans
it was regarded as one of the most abundant species of bird on the planet. One
of its primary contributions to the ecosystem was that it was an efficient
fertilizer. Pound for pound it dropped the most pigeon poop around.J
Another primary contribution is that along with fertilizer it spread the seeds
of vegetation that it ate. This helped to propagate a wide range of plant
species. Perhaps a secondary contribution is that it served as wolf chow, hawk
chow, weasel chow, and fox chow.
The Horror.
The passenger pigeon was destroyed by the european. The first thing this weapon
of mass destruction did to the poor passenger pigeon was to destroy its
habitat. By clear cutting forests (ostensibly to build more wal-marts and gas
stations) the passenger pigeon had fewer safe places to live and nest. The
second thing this weapon of mass destruction did was to hunt the passenger
pigeon into extinction. Someone had the bright idea of using the bird for slave
chow. These brave hunters would soak grain and seeds in alcohol and leave it
out for the pigeons to feed. The intoxicated pigeons would then be easier to
kill[1].
There are a number of sources documenting the rate at which the passenger
pigeon was killed. In one city in Michigan, upwards of 50,000 birds were killed
per day over a 5 month period[2].
Blanchan’s book Birds That Hunt and Are Hunted is a very good documentary source. By european records the last
passenger pigeon died in 1914.
There are many other extinct species that we could study:
the dodo, rocky mountain locusts, blue walleye, the great auk, the Carolina
parakeet, the Tasmanian Tiger (thylacine), even the Tasmanian are just a few.
As we explore these many different cases, and causes of extinction, we should
be vigilant in our search for patterns and recurring themes. What do you think
we will find? Until next time…
Abibifahodie!
Jomo W. Mutegi, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Science Education at the Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis. He is also a member of the (ES)2 Research Program, which works to advance STEM curricula that position people of African descent to improve their current social condition. To learn more about the (ES)2 Research Program visit: www.ES2RP.org.
[1]
Writing Activity: Write a
short essay describing another historical or contemporary instance of europeans
using alcohol to kill or otherwise exploit another species.
[2]
Math Activity: If 50,000
pigeons were killed each day, how many were killed each hour? Each minute? Each
second? Remember that this is the number of birds killed every second, every
minute of every day, for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for nearly half a
year… in only 1 city. That is a lot of killing!
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