San Angelo Native to Speak on Cowboys and the Amazon

When it comes to the Amazonia Rainforest and cowboys, San Angelo Native Dr. Jeffrey Hoelle is in the know, and plans to make a special appearance at Angelo State University to discuss his new book, “Rainforest Cowboys: The Rise of Ranching and Cattle Culture in Western Amazonia,” at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14, in the Houston Harte University Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive.

According to an ASU press release, Dr. Hoelle’s book, which was published in April by the University of Texas Press, is an interdisciplinary study that is the first to examine the interlinked economic uses, cultural practices and beliefs surrounding cattle in Western Amazonia where cattle raising remains at the center of debates about economic development and environmental conservation.

Dr. Susanna B. Hecht, who wrote a review about the book, said, “This careful analysis of social identities and local political ecologies helps explain why cattle production now pervades all livelihoods and lifeways in the politically ‘greenest’ corner of the Amazonia. This book is not about just rural but also city influence, and thus captures new dynamics that now shape forest frontiers.”

Dr. Hoelle, an assistance professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), will present more information about this topic to the public in the CJ Davidson Conference Center located inside the UC at no charge thanks to ASU’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations sponsoring the event.

Hoelle has been a member of UCSB’s faculty since 2012, the press release stated. He earned a doctorate in anthropology from the University of Florida, a master’s in Latin American studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish from Southwestern University in Georgetown. On top of these achievements, Hoelle is a Hellman Family Faculty Fellow and has won national competitions for his academic writing as well as a U.S. State Department Fullbright Grant. He’s a member of the American Anthropological Association, the Association of American Geographers, the Brazilian Studies Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology.

For those individuals interested in Hoelle’s work, they can find his book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and the University of Texas Press. For more information on the lecture, contact ASU’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations at (325)942-2116.