The "Invention" of National Park in America: The American Wilderness, Nationalism, and Imperialism

美國國家公園之“發明”：原始荒野，民族主義，與帝國主義

盧莉茹(Li-Ru Lu)

《華梵人文學報》 4期 (2005/01) Pp. 161-186

https://doi.org/10.29930/HJH.200501.0005

摘要

對十九世紀的美國人而言，「國家公園」是個嶄新的觀念。批評家們多半認爲喬治•卡特林(George Catlin)、佛端德端克•羅•歐爾恩斯代德(Frederick Law Olmsted)－二位國家公園觀念之創始者－之所以曆明國家公園之概念乃是爲了保護原始生態環境，特別是保存野生動物與印第安人，以供大眾參觀、休憩及娛樂，因而書寫了美國環境史上保護荒野與印第安人之首頁。不同於以上之論點，本文則欲指出荒野保存其實並非卡特林等人發明國家公園概念之主因。反之，美國文化民族主義之萌芽與帝國主義之擴張才是主要原因，而卡特林等人最大之原創乃在於他以保存荒野？而非征服荒野？之國家公園論述來建構美國國家主體。此文全圖檢視環境主義（環境主義在本文中指的是用設立國家公園之形式以保存原始荒野之觀念）、民族主義、及帝國主義三者間互相糾葛及錯綜複雜之關係，並試圖指出卡特林等人的環境論述(environmental discourse)背後其實夾雜著強烈濃厚的民族主義論述以及以白人文明爲中心的帝國主義色彩。此文分爲五那份：（一）導論（二）荒野之定義（三）國家公園概念之發明與美國主體意識之建構兩者間的關係（四）國家公園概念之發明與帝國主義之擴張兩者之間的關係（五）結論。

關鍵字

美國國家公園 ； 原始荒野 ； 美國文化民族主義 ； 帝國主義

並列摘要

For the nineteenth-century Americans, ”national park” was a brand-new idea. It was usually defined as wild places protected for public use, resort and recreation. It was George Catlin who used the term ”national park” for the first time and it was Frederick Law Olmsted who took a leading role in formulating the park concept. Most critics consider that both Catlin and Olmsted invented national park idea in order to preserve the American wilderness; therefore, such an invention is ”an evidence of embryonic concern in the United States for the rights of native peoples” and the rights of nature (Runte 238). Different from the readings of these critics, this paper will point out that the establishment of an American identity is Catlin's real concern. Behind Catlin's and Olmsted's environmental discourses, there exists evident nationalistic rhetoric and imperialist ideology. In other words, their writings are not really concerned about the rights of the Indians at all.
This paper attempts to explore the intricate relations of environmentalism, nationalism and imperialism in Catlin's and Olmsted's texts. It will be divided into five parts. The first section is ”Prologue.” In the second section, the paper will examine the definition of the word ”wilderness.” In the third section, the paper shall explore the links between the invention of national park idea and the creation of an American identity. Next, the paper will examine the links between the invention of national park idea and American imperialism. Finally, I will make a conclusion in the last part of the paper.

並列關鍵字

American national parks ； the American wilderness ； American cultural Nationalism ； imperialism

參考文獻

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