Piaroa
Piaroa Envy, Revenge, and Nonviolence [anthology chapter review]
Alexander Mansutti Rodríguez describes some dramatic episodes of shamanistic violence in an article published last year in a book about lowland South America. One episode he describes, for example, concerns a very powerful Piaroa shaman, called a tjujaturuwa (lord of the people), who was preoccupied with defending himself from the attacks of potentially jealous rivals. […]
Piaroa Agroforestry [journal article review]
Why is it that different scholars can analyze a subject as straightforward as the Piaroa food growing systems and arrive at diametrically opposite conclusions? A few months ago, Germán N. Freire wrote an article on the ways the Piaroa living in villages near the city of Puerto Ayacucho, Venezuela, successfully market sustainable forest products (reviewed […]
Piaroa Farming Effectiveness [journal article review]
The Piaroa grow food in temporary gardens which support a growing population, supply them with good nutrition, and provide more income than modern, high-input agriculture would. Germán N. Freire carefully explains why in an upcoming journal article. His basic argument is that the Piaroa find their traditional swidden (shifting) agricultural pursuits to be quite effective. […]
Piaroa Local Knowledge and the Politics of Contemporary Venezuela [anthology chapter review]
Piaroa society has changed over the past 40 years: they have moved to more accessible locations, many have accepted evangelical Christianity, and they are cautious about sharing their knowledge with visitors. Serena Heckler, in an article which she contributed to a recent book, concentrates on the third issue—their indigenous knowledge. The focus of her research […]
Report Examines Childhood Development among the Piaroa
A new study of six indigenous societies in Venezuela concludes that playing games by children helps promote their growth and the successful transmission of their culture. The Inter Press Service, a news agency devoted to disseminating news from the developing countries, reported Tuesday that a team under the leadership of Emanuele Amodio spent two years […]
In Praise of Folly—Piaroa Style [journal article review]
When groups of Piaroa laugh and tease a young man who just farted, they feel the merriment helps preserve everyone’s good health—much as Germans might say gesundheit to people who sneeze. But the intentions of the Piaroa go deeper than simple fun. They believe that the fart may release powerful contaminants, which the man may […]
Update on Piaroa/New Tribes Mission Story
Several posts in the blogosphere update last week’s coverage of protests by Indian peoples, including the Piaroa, that the New Tribes Mission (NTM) would be expelled from Venezuela. A blog carried by Salon.com posted a comment by a New Tribes missionary named Matt who was irritated that the blogger did not seem sufficiently informed about […]
Venezuelan Indian Groups Rally for New Tribes Mission
Nearly 3,000 Venezuelan tribal people, including Piaroa representatives, held a large protest march in Puerto Ayacucho, the capital of Amazonas state in southern Venezuela, last Friday. The protestors expressed their opposition to the announcement by President Hugo Chávez that the New Tribes Mission (NTM), an American-based evangelical group, must be expelled from the nation. “This […]
Piaroa Approaches to Nonviolence: New PDF Added to Website
Except for sorcery attacks against unknown outsiders who are presumed to be responsible for diseases and deaths, Piaroa territory is almost completely free of physical violence. Joanna Overing, in a 1989 article added this week to the Archive of this website, describes essential elements of Piaroa beliefs: how they define maturity in terms of routinely […]
Piaroa Homegardens Provide Focus for Socializing [journal article review]
The homegardens of the Piaroa serve many purposes in addition to food production. They provide building materials, supplies for hunting magic, medicinal plants, and the setting for social activities. The gardens display the creativity of their owners, and they serve as sources of pride and self-esteem. The Piaroa use them for the first stages of […]
