Analysis Of The Omo Valley Of Southwest Ethiopia Between The Omo And Mago Rivers

The perception of foreign cultures can at times be quite peculiar. The article “Eating Christmas in Kalahari” by Richard Borshay Lee, foretells a classic example of cross culture misunderstanding when people from different cultures operate in a culturally unfamiliar environment. Richard Lee, a social anthropologist, explains what he learned living with the !Kung Bushmen, a South African tribe, for three years. This Gemeinschaft community of hunters-gatherers worked together to teach the anthropologist something important to their people, even though he was unaware of their intentions in the beginning.

In Chapter 2 of Ancestral Lines, Barker explores many concepts relating to the Maisins methodology of subsistence. Barker outlines three main methodologies that the Maisin use to sustain their lifestyle: horticulture, reciprocal relationships and trade. The major items needed for the Maisin to subsist include food,Tapa cloth and a social system (Barker 2016; ). When discussing the concept of horticulture and its importance Barker specifically references the garden as a means of not only providing food for families but also determining gender roles, connecting with ancestors, developing morals and establishing a political identity (Barker 2016; ). The concept of the garden liases with his exploration of the role of different reciprocal relationships

Settled in Kenya and Tanzania, the Maasai enjoy a simple life with an abundance of culture. With roots in pastoralism, the Maasai live an intriguing life with traditions unlike any in the world. Language, marriage, societal statuses, the economy, religion, and health are fundamental in appreciating all that the Maasai have to offer. The warriors of the savannas’ red clothing signify power, and with that comes a powerful amount of knowledge that is still being learned.

The Mien have many names. We have been called (Yao) “Barbarians” by the Chinese, “minyua-Choua” by the Hmong, the hill-tribe people by the National Geographic’s investigators, & countless other names I cannot digest on this paper. The culture is based off of a patriarchal view, and consists of spiritual awareness, and are led by Shamans who have an archaic ritualistic view of death, marriage, birth, and when someone gets sick. They are also hunters and gatherers and are farmers. Some forty years ago, the Mien were a self-sufficient body of people who lived in the mountains of Laos and Thailand. They were thriving in the rainforests of Southeast Asia. In retrospect, my people lived like

Commonly referred to as Bushmen by the general public and thought of as being harsh wild people that live in the “unlivable” Kalahari Desert. The Ju /’hoansi tribe native to the southern African desert, located along the border of Namibia and Botswana, have been misunderstood and stereotyped for a long time. This is until a man by the name of Richard B. Lee came along and wrote an ethnography about the local systems of the Ju and completely changed how an outsider might view this rural tribe, along with being a fine example of proper long-term field research in social anthropology. This highly regarded book on the Ju /’hoansi is titled “The Dobe Ju /’hoansi.” Although Lee states in the

Chapter one, “Fieldwork among the Maisin”, describes how anthropologist John Barker, author of Ancestral Lines, goes to Uiaku New Guinea to study the Maisin people. His specific goals were to study how a people can maintain a cultural identify in a modernizing world and how they can live without destroying their environment. Barker first arrived in New Guinea in 1982 where he examined “how the Maisin make a living, organize social interactions, conceptualize the spiritual world, and meet the opportunities and tragedies of life” (Barker 2016:2). He studied the tapa cloth, a fabric made from bark, that the Maisin use as a connection to their ancestral past and to help define their culture. Barker discovered that the Maisin have faith in traditional methods and do what they can to preserve that lifestyle. Barker‘s work went

Miner (1956) discussed the body rituals among the Nacirema. The Nacirema are human beings, just like all other humans. They bleed, they love, they are born, and they die. However, for some reason, the Nacirema consider themselves a special breed of humans. This belief is so ingrained in their traditions and cultures that some have taken it to the extreme. Scholars have argued that the Nacirema’s inflated sense of pride stems from the greatness of their ancestors. They descended from a great group of warriors who came together and agreed on the future of their descendants. This essay will examine the Nacirema’s obsession with oil and how this informs their aggressive behavior.

The author’s purpose in writing this article was not to show the “Nacirema” as an example of how extreme human behavior can become, but how an outside perspective can affect your perception of an alien culture. If one were to look at the “Nacirema’s” cultural behaviors regarding physical appearance and health without any insight or knowledge of the specific beliefs or values of that culture, they might seem bizarre and even incomprehensible. By showing behaviors and “rituals” performed by this unknown tribe, Miner allowed others to see that the way studies were representing distinctive cultures was narrowminded and defective. Without the proper comprehension of the basis of any society, huge cultural misunderstandings could occur. Of

The author begins the article by preparing the audience what is about to come. Telling the audience that cultures around the world have unusual customs and an anthropologist would even seek out a culture that has one when everyone seems to agree. He then talks about the Nacirema tribe and the extremities of their practices.

After medicine men there are “holy-mouth-men” who do barbaric and painful rituals on the tribes-people’s mouths. These rituals are continued in the home involving hog hair on sticks and certain powders in a ritual done by the tribe every day.

The Mursi woman and her village are not completely showing the tourists their authentic culture as the woman makes it evident that they dress in an almost completely different way when the tourists come. However, they in part are still showing the visitors their culture as they cannot change things such as how their homes are built and what they do for work simply because people are coming to visit. Part of their culture must shine through no matter how hard they

The acknowledgements follow the foreword. In this section, Karen thanks everyone involved in her path to the muriqui and discusses the culmination of events and people that led her to initiating her research. Her graduate advisor, Irven DeVore was responsible for the inspiration that led to the glory of a book I get to review.

Richard Lee and Elizabeth Thomas who have studied the Kung Bushman of southwest Africa noted that even this relatively peaceful people still value manhood as a prize that must be attained through some kind of test (Thomas 1959, Lee 1979). The Kung who are non-violent and have never fought in a war go as far as calling themselves “the Harmless People” (Thomas 1959). They maintain no weapons for military purposes and look down on those who commit physical violence, which sometimes occurs. Even in this group of gentle

The Dinka term muycharko, which means twelve men, is what Francis’s father had called him because as Francis explains, “out of all his children I was the one who wanted to work the hardest, the child who always got what he wanted, the one who would never give up.” (4) Ajak is equivalent to the word rich man. (4) Murahaliin are militiamen from the north. As Francis states, “I had heard people in my village talk of these “militia” from the north, dangerous men with guns who killed people and stole their cattle.” (9) Juur are Arabs from northern Sudan, (10) These men had lighter black skin and wore headdresses and robes. They came from the north on camels carrying important things people in southern sudan do not have. Djellabah is a hooded cloak

The Gebusi have come a long way from where they were when Bruce first found them in 1980. They made progress from what they once were, having skyrocketing homicide rates and being classified as a tribe of cannibals; to being a tribe that basis their economy off of reciprocity and sister marriage. The Gebusi were once a tribe of people that had very stringent beliefs. The Gebusi were a tribe of people that worked together in all aspects of life, from felling trees and semi-domesticating pigs, to living in long houses and participating in reciprocity. In 1998 Knauft noted that the Gebusi have dramatically changed from what they were in 1982. After 16 years, there was a stark difference between