About the Author

Greca N. Meloni

E-Mail: greca.nathascia.meloni@univie.ac.at

Greca N. Meloni is a recipient of a DOC Fellowship of the Austrian Academy of Sciences at the Institute of European Ethnology of the University of Vienna. Her research focuses on knowledge and practices of beekeeping in Sardinia (Italy), and the tensions and conflicts that arise — both within the community of beekeepers, and between that community and various regional institutions — in response to issues of environmental resource management and the exploitation of local products. Meloni is interested in museum studies and topics related to cultural heritage.

Contributions by Author: Greca N. Meloni

Issue 5
teaser_indigeneities_66
authenticity
autochthony
beekeeping
Sardinia
territoriality

Making Indigeneity

The Beekeeper’s Perspective

In this paper, I discuss the notion of autochthony and its interpretation by Sardinian beekeepers. My aim is to analyze how, through the interpretation of history and tradition, some beekeepers develop a dynamic concept of autochthony that contrasts with the regional and national politics of environmental management. In doing this, two different positions emerge within the community of beekeepers itself: a more ‘cultural’ perspective promoted by the association of beekeepers Apiaresos and a more ‘scientific’ vision supported by the Organization of Producers Op. Terrantiga. By focusing on the ‘Issue of eucalyptus,’ I will show how the perception of being part of the territory leads to the development of a positive perspective towards certain ‘allochthonous’ species of Sardinia. […]