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LSU Historical Dissertations and Teses Graduate School
1997
Nature, Culture and Big Old Trees: Human
Relationships With Ceiba (Ceiba Pentandra) and
Live Oak (Quercus Virginiana) in the Landscapes
of Guatemala and Louisiana.
Katharine Anderson
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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Recommended Citation
Anderson, Katharine, "Nature, Culture and Big Old Trees: Human Relationships With Ceiba (Ceiba Pentandra) and Live Oak
(Quercus Virginiana) in the Landscapes of Guatemala and Louisiana." (1997). LSU Historical Dissertations and Teses. 6379.
htps://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/6379
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NATURE, CULTURE AND BIG OLD TREES:
HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS WITH CEIBA
{CEIBA PENTÆDRA) AND LIVE OAK (QUERCUS VIRGINIANA)
IN THE LANDSCAPES OF GUATEMALA AND LOUISIANA
A Dissertation
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the
Louisiana State University and
Agricultural and Mechanical College
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor o f Philosophy
in
The Department o f Geography and Anthropology
by
Katharine Anderson
B .A , University o f Vermont, 1976
M .A , University of Vermont, 1981
May, 1997
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UMI Number: 9735974
C o p y r i g h t 1 9 9 7 b y
A n d e r s o n , K a t h a r i n e
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© Copyright 1997
Katharine Anderson
All rights reserved
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A cknowledgments
The last three years have been a series of encounters with remarkable, generous
people and extraordinary trees. This dissertation is a ^mthesis o f the stories th^r told me.
Like ary project of this size, it has been a community effort and I am profoundly grateful
to all vdio helped.
My greatest d * t is to my advisor. Miles Richardson, who was inspiration, critic,
mentor, and friend. He guided me through the conception o f the project and
development of the themes, joined me on several field trips, cheerfully read some truly
rough drafts and through his thoughtful comments helped me find my voice. I will always
be thankful for his insights in the topics o f nature, culture and place; his wisdom and
good humon and his genuine welcome whenever I knock on his door.
Bill Davidson, too, was central to this project. He has been researching ceibas in
Middle America for years, and generously shared his information, photographs and
enthusiasm. I hope my insights add to his much more geographically extensive, long
term research into the role o f this Ascinating species in Middle America. Thanks also to
Kent Mathewson, who pointed out relevant literature on geographic studies of trees,
urging me to expand my readings in what he has dubbed "cultural phytogeography."
Neil Odenwald responded immediately to this study of a tree he loves and knows well,
and not only spoke at length with me but also steered me to other sources of information
in Louisiana.
Suzaime Turner and Richard Condrey, two Louisiana State University faculty
members not on my committee, not even in my department, generously gave their time
and pointed out sources and points of view that proved central to some of the
arguments. My thanks to both of them. Suzanne also inadvertently helped me articulate
my research methods when she asked me to speak to her graduate seminar in landscape
architecture.
U1
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Financially, I am indebted to Louiaana State University for the generous four-
year graduate fellowship that allowed me to return to graduate school. The fieldwork in
Guatemala was made possible by two grants fi"om the Robert C. West Field Research
Awards, in the D^artm ent of Geography and Anthropology at LSU, and a third fi^om
the local chapter o f Sigma lam deeply grateful for this support.
For providing invaluable information that forms the basis of this thesis, I wish to
thank all who spoke to me, at length or briefly, about live oaks and ceibas. Among those
who generously gave time out of thdr own busy lives to answer my questions are, in
Louisiana: Paul Orr, Randy Harris, Jim Foret Sr., Jim Foret Jr., Betty Baggert, Verlyn
Bercegeay, Glenn Conrad, Derek Green, Gercie Daigle, Phil Thompson and Steele
Burden; in Guatemala: Juana Itzol Faulkner, Alfonso Arrivillaga, Francisco Cane Acosta,
Edgar Geovany Mendoza, Helen De Soto, Mike Shawcross. Many others welcomed me
into their homes, helped me find specific trees or told me their own tree stories. My
thanks to all o f them.
My field trip notes in Louisiana all bear the names of people who accompanied
me on "oaking" expeditions. They drove, measured trees, took notes, checked maps,
made suggestions or just listened as I babbled, and their involvement and interest made
the whole thing fun. Other fellow graduate students were always willing to talk about the
work. My great thanks to Kathleen Ketmedy, Esther Shaffer, Katie Algeo, Michael
Hawkins, Delphine Douglas, Sherri Araoni, Andy Maxwell, Hy Fernandez, Tanya
Kalischer, Chris Coggins and Bonnie Henderson.
I am fortunate in having a number offiiends with excellent editorial skills. For
helping me through difiGcult stages o f the writing process and substantially improving the
final product, many thanks to Judy Chaves, Ruth Page, Dan Gade, Cindy Wolcott and
Scott Smiley. Thanks also to Ed Cullen, who did such a good job interviewing me for a
newspaper article that he not only produced a fine story, but helped me sort out my
thoughts when I was stuck and get on with the writing.
IV
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For generously providing ofSce space and encouragement during the writing I am
grateful to David Barrington at the University of Vermont Damon Little I thank for his
help in dealing with the nqrsteries of computer programs, and Lou Izzo deserves a hero’s
reward for his help during the final stages o f formatting and printing. Sean Fairhurst
prepared the nu^s o f Guatemala.
Several fiunilies and individuals gave me food and shelter during parts o f the last
five unsettled years, when I was away fi-om home. My deepest thanks for the wonderful
companionship, fine meals and laughter to Judy Chaves and Craig Heindel and their
daughters Naomi and Ruth; to Ruth and Proctor Page; to Jeanne and Dale Goldhaber, to
Than Vu; and to Regina Hofihnan.
My sons, Damon and Toby, have encouraged me throughout this long process. I
thank them both for their tolerance o f an often preoccupied mother, for lugging around
countless boxes whenever I moved, and for every phone call, letter and visit during the
sometimes lonely years. Finally, I want to thank my 6ther for his constant, 6ithfU calls
to encourage me and his unwavering belief that someday I would finish.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................... iii
List of Figures..................................................................................................................viii
Abstract............................................................................................................................ xi
Chapter 1 : Geography and trees............................................................................... 1
Landscape.................................................................................. 6
Place............................................................................................ II
Domestication.............................................................................. 12
Chapter 2; Research Methods................................................................................. 16
Historical Background............................................................. 16
Fieldwork.................................................................................. 17
Analysis.................................................................................... 26
Reflections on Fieldwork.............................................................28
Chapter 3; Natural H istory............................................................................ 31
Ceiba, Ceiba pentandra........................................................... 31
Live Oak, Querciis virginiana................................................. 48
Comparisons............................................................................ 67
Chapter 4: Cultural H istory........................................................................ 70
Ceiba........................................................................................ 71
Live Oak.................................................................................. 97
Comparisons..............................................................................138
Chapter 5: Human-Tree Relationships............................................................. 143
Trees as Places........................................................................ 143
Eflfects on Trees.........................................................................173
Chapter 6: Nature, Culture and Big Old T rees.......................................................... 191
Landscape..................................................................................192
P lace.......................................................................................... 194
Domestication............................................................................195
Nature and Culture.................................................................... 198
References......................................................................................................................202
Appendix A: Field T rips.............................................................................218
Appendix B: Interviews............................................................................. 220
VI
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