Final answer:
William Cronon redefines wilderness as a construct that portrays nature as untouched by humans, a notion he challenges by highlighting indigenous interactions with the environment, such as the Miwok's management of Yosemite.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to William Cronon, wilderness is often conceived as an area that is pristine, untouched by human intervention, and representative of the earth before humanity's influence. Cronon challenges this notion by suggesting that the idea of wilderness as a space separate from humans is a cultural construct, particularly prevalent in North American conservationist ideals. This perspective of wilderness has been influential in the conservation movement, yet it overlooks the historical evidence that even landscapes considered pristine have been shaped by considerable human interaction. For example, archaeological findings indicate that indigenous peoples, like the Miwok, actively managed lands like Yosemite through practices like burning and selective harvesting, which refutes the idea of an untouched wilderness.
In light of such evidence, Cronon and other scholars argue against the dichotomy of humans as either enemies of or saviors of the environment. These binary views conflict with the reality that human-environment interactions are complex and have long been part of the ecological history, as evidenced by practices like swidden cultivation in South Asia, which created habitats attracting diverse wildlife.