The article explores some Brazilian typical society-environmental interaction patterns and the symbolical concepts of Nature related to it. The study was oriented in three directions – cultural, historical and economical. In a cultural point of view, it considers the relationship between the social-cultural system and attitudes concerning nature. Using a historical approach, it considers the connection between the concepts of Nature and the national state construction process, as well as the notions of national identityand memory. Finally it analyzes resource appropriation patterns related to the economical occupation of the Brazilian territory. The conclusions lead to evidence that some relation patterns and attitudes have prevailed for a long period of time. They show that one can see that in the Brazilian society-nature relationship there is a counter point between two ways of regarding Nature – an enchanted and a modernway, which can mean new possibilities of understaning environment and for political formulation in that area
