The Organizational System Of Yanomami

In the Yanomamo culture, warfare is practiced as a way to demonstrate the strength of a village, or individual. Overall, warfare is practiced in the Yanomamo culture because of a combination of factors. One of the proximate, or indirect, causes of the violence include seeking revenge for villagers who have been killed. Another proximate cause of violence that it is used to steal women from other villages in order to increase the number of available wives. Also, villages must appear intimidating and tough so that other villages do not raid them. These are a few of the proximate causes of violence. Competition over scarce resources is one ultimate, or root, cause of violence. Men who are violent may gain greater social status, which encourages violence overall. Another ultimate cause of the violence is the lack of strong political leadership within the villages. These villages do not have leaders to stop violence or structure violence in productive ways. Without such leaders, villagers are more likely to rely on violence in impulsive ways. Hostility between villages often results in violence, as there are no leaders to resolve the hostility. In addition, another ultimate cause of violence is the geographical environment of the Yanomamo. Since the Yanomamo territory is restricted, and often invaded by outsiders, available land becomes more scarce. This causes competition for land to increase, which increases violence. Since people of the Yanomamo cannot move into areas

In a country known for its elegant and flashy display of beautiful and wealth, there are groups of people, particular in the Amazon Rainforest, who still live detached from modernity and lifestyle of the contemporary world. Even though some of those groups live in voluntary isolation, they are united in their fight for land and environmental rights. One of these groups is the Kayapo, a group of around nine thousand indigenous people, who lives in the village of Gorotire along the Xingu River. Although the Kayapo have famously evolved from an isolated tribute to active voice against numerous developmental projects proposed by the Brazilian government, other groups such as rubber tappers in the Xapuri area have also made significant progress in securing political and cultural rights. While these communities and indigenous groups often share different cultures and customs, they are connected through a common struggle: defending their cultural and political identity amidst oppression and neglect from the Brazilian government.

The Yanomamo are a tribe of twenty thousand who live in about two hundred and fifty widely dispersed villages in Brazil and Venezuela. It was first thought that the Yanomamo were a group of hunter-gatherers, but contrary to that thought they actually cultivate their own crops for food. They also hunt and forage, but only as needed.

Throughout the article, Doing Fieldwork among the Yanomamo, by Napoleon A. Chagnon the reader is able to read along as if they were a real anthropologist’s on a journey throughout the villages of tropical forests in unoccupied lands. Changnon begins his writing explaining the culture and life style of the Yanamamö people. How their daily lives focus on gardening, hunting, visiting and completing tasks to get through the day. He describes their short life expectancy and the risks of violence between surrounding villages. The amount of men is exceedingly larger than the women, and often time’s men have multiple wives. Changon describes how each village is apart of broader political demographic. However he expresses how difficult it is to understand all of this simply from his descriptions.

Shaki, or Napoleon A. Chagnon’s 15 month enculturation with the Yanomamo tribe, Bisaasi-teri is characterized by fear, discomfort, loneliness, nosiness, and invaluable experiences through relationships and modesty about human culture. Chagnon documents the experience through the struggle and discovery surrounding his proposed research, as his lifestyle gradually comes in sync with the natural functions of his community. Much of his focus and time was consumed by identification of genealogical records, and the establishment of informants and methods of trustworthy divulgence. Marriage, sex, and often resulting violence are the foremost driving forces within Yanomamo, and everything that we

The oral history of these people talk about how groups or bands of people were entrusted to care for the environment and resources within their ancestral territory (About The Hualapai Nation, 22). They are descendants of a group called the Cerbat (“Hualapai Tribe”). The tribe’s ancestral territory estimated to be about five million acres (About The Hualapai

This transfer of the substance serves as a flow of energy from one being to another. The shaman is said to gain the power needed to call on the spirits through this process.

and the North American culture that we have adapted to, but just at there is

Amish culture has been an attention grabbing field of study for many anthropologists. Currently, there population is only present in United States due to various historical events. Although Amish community has been living in United States for a considerably long time now which comprises of centuries but despite all the cultural influences from external forces, this community has successfully managed to retain its original character and essence. Where other communities have showed adaptation to sociological and cultural changes, Amish culture is present in its original form because of their closed social system. Their main mode of subsistence of Horticulture. Although this mode is considered to be a derivative of their way of obtaining financial independence but in reality this mode of living defines their Beliefs and values, Economic organization, Gender relations, Kinship Political organization and Social organization.

Chagnon felt that the most important aspect of his research in Bisaasi-teri was to collect genealogical information and organize the marriages and relations between the villagers. This turned out to be his most difficult task, but nonetheless the most useful. He tells in the very beginning of the ethnography that the Yanomamo are considered a very “primitive” societal organization of human beings. The most obvious sign of primitive human life is simply the way the dress. In addition, their fickle nature, lack of industry, methods of hunting and gathering, and political organization, contribute to their primitive nature.

Many of the impacting factors on the Amazon are still present to this day with the Loggers, Ranchers and Miners. Recent challenges Amazonia has found itself up against are Commercial Fishing, Damming, Bio-Piracy & Smuggling and Poaching. Fish is one of the main food sources and income for many Amazonian people therefore it is in high demand. Large commercial fishing industries bring in huge trawlers to scoop up schools of fish to sell at the world food market. Smuggling plants and animals out of the Amazon is one of many illegal things that happen in the rainforest, with foreigners selling and making huge profits without sharing with the country of origin. Annually, US$20billion is made in the illegal wildlife trade. Hydroelectric construction

In Patrick Tierney’s article “The Fierce Anthropologist,” he discussed the faults that are, or may be, present in Napoleon Chagnon’s anthropological research of the Yanamamo, or “The Fierce People,” as Chagnon has referred to them in his best-selling book on the people.

Instead of focusing on the individual, “ecological economics invites us to picture ourselves not as isolated individuals but as housemates” (McFague 132). This model has two goals striving for sustainability and distributive justice which will allow for the earth’s resources to be sustained for future generations. McFague feels that the ecological economic system will provide an efficient system that will suit and support the needs of the world.

Miner’s article presents numerous anthropological concepts including culture, social behaviors, symbols, material culture and holism. While providing us with a synchronic view of an unexplored culture, Miner tackles the principle mindset that governs the “Nacirema’s” social customs and “rituals”, looks at key symbols and material possessions as the focus of the culture, and highlights the importance of studying a culture in its entirety to gain a full and accurate understanding.

This paper is written almost exclusively with information taken directly from the book Families of the Forest by Alan Johnson about the lifestyle of the Matsigenka Amazonian Natives. Information regarding the Matsigenka is almost solely derived from the work of Johnson unless noted otherwise. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the Matsigenka people, their needs as a community and finally pose a development project that meets the needs described. Realistically this is only one possible solution posed by an inexperienced undergraduate student. The author is student who has never set