Picturing Heaven in Early China

In Picturing Heaven in Early China,a consideration of the symbolism of Heaven in early Chinese culture,Lillian Lan-ying Tseng examines the evolution of a pictorial language for the expression of "religious" ideals.By analyzing the architectural,material and literary evidence from the Han dynasty,the author traces the trajectory of Han thought from its first concerns with the notion of Heaven and the involvement of the emperor,to the growing desire for personal immortality at all levels.The book comprises five chapters,which plot the development of Han thought and images of heaven.This is a complex and well-researched examination,whose depth and detail can only be suggested here.     

Forest as hazard,forest as victim: Community perspectives and disaster mitigation in the aftermath of Kelowna's 2003 wildfires

Situated within the political ecology of hazard, this article is an extended case study of the devastating 2003 wildfires in and around Kelowna, British Columbia (also known as the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire). This article reveals how compliance (or lack thereof) with fire mitigation strategies recommended by provincial, regional, and municipal agencies is complicated by differing social constructions of what constitutes ecologically sustainable forest management and community safety. Three perspectives emerge regarding the urban forests: “nature as hazard”—a volatile force to be controlled; “nature as instrumentally valuable”—a contribution to the character of one's surroundings and subsequent sense of place; and “nature as intrinsically valuable”—a distinct entity to be preserved and protected for its own sake. The article also examines how experiences of disaster influence community perceptions and result in a greater willingness to engage in fire mitigation strategies due to perceptions of heightened vulnerability. Forestry and fire mitigation agencies need to determine multiple courses of action among the varied and valid range of residents’ nature perspectives. The role of human agency in disaster mitigation must be examined, particularly as the risk of fire at the wildland‐urban interface continues to be exacerbated by encroaching human settlements and climate change.     

Recognition of native rights in Northern Quebec: Settlement of comprehensive claims,constitutional protection and economic development

In order to allow for hydro development in Northern Quebec, it was necessary for the federal and provincial governments to negotiate conditions of settlement with the tree and Inuit people. These negotiations resulted in the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement in 1975.

A process to define aboriginal rights was established when the Canadian Constitution was repatriated in 1981–1982. In 1983, the Constitution was amended to recognize, among other things, rights or free ‐doms acquired by way of land claims agreements, as well as existing aboriginal and treaty rights. However, after a series of constitutional meetings, participants did not agree on an amendment to entrench the right to self‐government.

In the context of future development and actual practices, the exercise of rights is also extremely crucial; and, indeed, it is only through practice that those rights can be measured.     

Pottery and Other Finds from the Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Sandy,Bedfordshire

INTENSIVE museum research and examination of documentary records of the discovery in the 18th and 19th centuries of Anglo-Saxon urns and other finds at Sandy (Beds.) reveals a series of 5th- to early 6th-century cremation urns and other pottery from the site. These are published together for the first time and their significance is discussed. A metal find of importance, a silver bracelet, is given extended treatment.     

The new refugees and the “old ethnicity”

Haines, David W., ed. Refugees in the United States: A Reference Handbook. Westport, Connecticut: Westport Press, 1985. viii + 243 pp. including chapter references, annotated literature guide, and index. $39.95 cloth.