Geodialectic- This is a term originated by James E. Sherow in his "Workings of the Geodialectic: High Plains Indians and Their Horses in the Region of the Arkansas River Valley, 1800-1870." The phrase "Geodialectic" refers to the ever changing environments on the planet, and, in order to survive, humans and other living things must adapt to this constant environmental flux. The ability of any species, including humans, to persist and flourish depends upon how well it adapts to the Geodialectic. Nature, however, is considered uninterested in human survival. The one-word term combines James Lovelock's notion of Gaia, a living earth, with the idea of dialectical relationships among living and non-living forces; this process constantly remakes terrestrial environments. In a dialectical sense, Indians and horses interacting with organic forces made sweeping changes to the Great Plains. Non-living climatic, tectonic, and cosmic forces (like drought, wind, volcanism, earthquakes, meteoroids, comets, sunspots, asteroids) could also add to the complexity of the Geodialectic in the region. .
3. Pristine Myth- The myth persists that in 1492 the Americas were a sparsely populated wilderness, -a world of barely perceptible human disturbance. There is substantial evidence, however, that the Native American landscape of the early sixteenth century was a humanized landscape almost everywhere. Populations were large. Forest composition had been modified, grasslands had been created, wildlife disrupted, and erosion was severe in places. Earthworks, roads, fields, and settlements were ubiquitous. With Indian depopulation in the wake of Old World disease, the environment recovered in many areas. A good argument can be made that the human presence was less visible in 1750 than it was in 1492. Denevan puts forth this argument in his "The Pristine Myth: The Landscape of the Americas in 1492." He compiles examples on the ecologically noble savage, and claims the pristine myth emerged from literary tradition.
