Mythology, Spirituality, and History / Edition 1

by Andrew Gray

Overview

The Arakmbut are an indigenous people who live in the Madre de Dios region of thesoutheastern Peruvian rain forest. Since their first encounters with missionaries in the 1950s,they have shown resilience and a determination to affirm their identity in the face of many difficulties. During the last fifteen years, Arakmbut survival has been under threat from a goldrush that has attracted hundreds of colonists onto their territories. This trilogy of books traces the ways in which the Arakmbut overcome the dangers that surround them: their mythology and cultural strength; their social flexibility; and their capacity to incorporate non-indigenous concepts and activities into their defence strategies. Each area is punctuated by the constant presence of the invisible spirit, which provides a seamless theme connecting the books to each other.

Following the Arakmbuts' recommendation, the author uses their three greatest myths to introduce social, cultural and historical aspects of their lives. He ends with a discussion of the relationship between myth and history showing how the Arakmbut recreate their myths at the dramatic moments of their history.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781571818768
Publisher:	Berghahn Books
Publication date:	09/01/1996
Series:	Arakmbut of Amazonian Peru , #1
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1210L (what's this?)

About the Author

Andrew Gray was, until his untimely death in 1999, Tutor in Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford. He was also a leading activist in indigenous rights, advising the Forest Peoples Programme and the International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) among other organizations.

Table of Contents

List of Tables
List of Figures
List of Maps
General Preface
Preface

Introduction: The Harakmbut

PART I

Preface: Myth and Relativity
Chapter 1. Death and Salvation: The Story of Wanamey
Chapter 2. Gender: Social and Cosmological Exchange
Chapter 3. Time through Space: House and Community
Chapter 4. Descent of Man and Exchange of Women

PART II

Preface: Nature and Potentiality
Chapter 5. The Defeat of Death: The Story of Marinke
Chapter 6. Keeping Body and Soul Together
Chapter 7. Sickness and Death
Chapter 8. Being Invisible: The Spirits

PART III

Preface: History and Creativity
Chapter 9. Aiwe and the Papa
Chapter 10. The Great War - The Rubber Boom
Chapter 11. Christian Invasion
Chapter 12. The Arakmbut Community and the Gold Rush

Conclusion

Orthography
Glossary of main Arakmbut Words used in Text
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

"... splendid and innovative ethnography ... highly topical, well written, intellectually highly interesting, and often avant-garde ... sophisticated and honest discussions ..." ·Joanna Overing, London School of Economics

From the Publisher