Title: Sheep and Ecological Imperialism: A Transnational Connection Te Waipounamu and Scotland
Department: History
Description: This project will explore a branch of Scottish migration through the lens of ecological imperialism, and more specifically, through the migration and farming of sheep into Te Waipounamu (the South Island of New Zealand) during the late eighteenth and throughout the nineteenth centuries. It seeks to understand how the sheep industry created a Scottish-Aotearoa transnational connection and the impact that connection has had on cultural and environmental issues in Aotearoa today. This research is significant as it draws attention to the modern-day oppression faced by Maori communities due to the legacy of imperialism, as sheep farming has contributed to the loss of land and in turn cultural aspects of these indigenous populations. In addition, this research holds importance within environment and sustainability fields as islands especially remain vulnerable in the face of the climate crisis. In New Zealand, agriculture accounts for around 50% of greenhouse emission, with this heavily being due to its world leading sheep industry.
Hometown: Bel Air, Maryland
Advisor: Andrew Fisher
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