Constanze,
I suspect that one of the more important issues that
anthropology is going to have to address in the near future
is the question of how critical geographic locality is to
ethnic identity. Serbs are making an ethnic claim to Kosovo
based upon a claim of the critical importance of the region
to their history, regardless of how important it is to them
culturally, or economically in the present.
Likewise the dispute regarding Macedonia and the use of the
name highlights the same issue for Macedonia and Greece. We
know that later Greeks took pretty much for granted the
"Greekness" of the Macedonians regardless of the opionions
held previously (4th and 5th centuries BCE).
Similar issues are being raised by Native Americans, ethnic
Hawaiians, and others. However some modern ethnic groups
such as the Romany do not regard territory as the sine qua
non of their identity as Romany.
To hark back briefly to the recent Star Trek discussion,
you might note that the these issues have been used as
material in episodes in DS9 and STNG. In fact, the "prime
directive" or what ever they call it, is frequently a core
issue, and it speaks directly to cultural independence and
non-interference.
Regards,
John Dougherty mailto:[log in to unmask]
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