Ya̦nomamö, the Fierce People"Ya̦nomamö culture, in its major focus, reverses the meanings of "good" and "desirable" as phrased in the ideal postulates of the Judaic-Christian tradition. A high capactiy of rage, a quick flash point, and a willingness to use violence to obtain one's ends are considered desirable traits. Much of the behavior of the Ya̦nomamö can be described as brutal, cruel, treacherous, in the value-ladened terms of our own vocabulary. The Ya̦nomamö themselves, however, as Napolean Chagnon came to intimately know them in the year and a half he lived with them, do not all appear to be mean and treacherous. As individuals, they seem to be people playing their own cultural game, with internal feelings that at times may be quite divergent from the demands placed upon them by their culture. This case study furnishes valuable data for phrasing questions about the relationship between the individual and his culture."-- Foreword. |
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abduct agnates alliance anthropologists Ariwari arrows asked began behavior blood bride service brothers canoe Caracas Chagnon chanting chest-pounding duel club fight cross-cousin culture curare Damowä daughter descent groups different villages drug enemies example FaSiDa father females fieldwork fierce films fruit garden genealogies guests hammock headman hekura hunting Indians individual jungle Kaobawä's group Kaobawä's village killed kinship kinsmen leaves live located Lower Bisaasi-teri machetes Mahekodo-teri Makiritare males marriage marriage exchanges marriage rules married Mavaca River mission missionaries MoBrDa Monou-teri moved noreshi Orinoco River palm parallel cousins participate Paruriwä Patanowä-teri patrilineal plantains political Puerto Ayacucho raid raiders reciprocal relationship Rerebawä returned Reyaboböwei-teri shabono shamans Shamatari villages shooting shot shotguns sister social Timothy Asch trade treacherous feast tree Tribes Mission trip uncontacted Upper Bisaasi-teri usually Venezuelan village fissioning visitors warfare wife wives woman women Yanomamö villages young younger