Two Cultural Practices among the Yanomamo

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Introduction

Yanomamo also known as the Yanomami are the jungle Indians living in the Amazon basin situated in Brazil and Venezuela. Their territory is approximately 192,000km2 covering the border of Brazil and Venezuela. It is believed that the Yanomami are the most primitive, culturally intact people in the world (Clearly, 1990). The Yanomami is composed of a four cultural linguistic subgroups who speak languages of same family Yanomae, Yanomami, Sanima and Ninam and all of them make a total of 26,000 people. The Yanomamo stay in small groups or tribes in shabonos-round communal huts consisting of independent residences. They steel rely on the ancient way of living for they live in the forests, they are hunters and gatherers who tend small garden plots and making crafts. Also unlike other Indians they cremate their dead, crush and drink their bones in a ceremony which they believe unites them with their loved ones forever. According to MacMillan (1995) men among the Yanomamo community are valued most and they have the responsibility of protecting the community and they marry as many wives as they wish. The group always haves warfare amongst itself and other tribes.

Marriage practices among the Yanomamo

Yonamamu community just like any other tribe across the globe practices marriage. Marriages are arranged according to recent performance of one’s relatives in the battle fields. Older men, brothers, uncles or even the father of the girls arrange for marriages (MacMillan, 1995).

Cross-cousin marriages

In this community cousins intermarry with each other and the males of the family and all marriages are performed by the religious leaders of the community. The community members believe that cross cousin marriages amongst themselves will help increase the population of the community and thus remain in existence. In marriages baby boys are preferred over baby girls since boys participate in kinship and also it is believed that many men in the community would provide strong and enough security to the community (Lizot, 1985).

Polygamy under Yanomamu tribe

They believe that they increase in population thus increased competition over the resources with the neighboring groups. In marriages women are encouraged to give birth to more boys than girls and by so doing create a competition for marrying more women (Chagnon, 1992). One who is able marry many wives has high chances to make powerful alliances with other powerful families.

Population of the tribe is also increased through inter clan warfare where women from the attached community are eloped, adopted and forced marry in the neighboring village. Men therefore, are forced to marry more than one woman to produce enough population that would latter create enough security against the adjacent rival village.

Benefits of rearing males to be Aggressive

Protection

According to Ferguson (1995) Yanomami tribe is composed of very fierce people especially men who are very violent. Men in Yanomamu become responsible immediately after marriage. Adult brothers normally clear the land next to their father including the father’s in readiness for planting and the size of the land is determined by the family’s size and kinship responsibilities (Chagnon 1983, 67).

In the Yanomamu community there is aggressive behavior which distinguished by a hierarchy of increased levels of intensity and gravity from interpersonal to inter-village violence (Chagnon, 1983). War may start due sexual matters like infidelity, jealousy; elope of women by the opponent groups. Men usually attach and raid the enemy village in revenge for death in home village and gain social prestige. Men also raid to abduct the women who were gang raped in the forest and then forcefully taken to the raider’s and even forced for marriage.

Since the Yanomami live in communal housings without inner walls, aggressiveness in men help them to stay alert to protect their families in case of any attach from the enemy group.

Food

Food is the basic requirement to Yanomami Indians just like any other tribe. The Yanomami tribe depends on hunting and gathering, fishing and farming as a mode of getting food for survival. The men go hunting for world animals using bows and arrows and also they gather roots in the forests and fish while women fetch water, collect firewood and carry out other household chores like preparing for meals. Arrows are made from cane and fletched with feathers and arrowheads are carved with wood sharpened twigs or bones of animals, birds, or fish.

Why aggression is encouraged and makes sense to the Yonamamu.

Inner village warfare

Inner village warfare in Yonamamu is common due to scarcity of women, revenge for suspected sorcery (Chagnon, 1983), protein shortages, and competition over hunting lands (Marvin Harris). Therefore, according to Chagnon (1983) inner village warfare helps the members of the Yanomamu community to compete for and acquire fertile land, productive hunting regions and scarce resources.

By males being aggressive they will help protect their women and children. It is believed that aggressive men provide enough security to their families and that they can cross to the neighboring group and elope with more women for marriage thus increased population. Chagnon (1983) also noted that, Yanomami central villages are densely populated compared to the peripheral villages because the central ones are greatly involved in warfare.

Conclusion

In summary the Yanomamu Indian tribe is an ethnic group well known community in the world that is steel stuck their traditional practices unlike other Indian sub-tribes that greatly developed and are leading a modern life.

References

Chagnon, N. A. (1983) Yanomamo: The Fierce People. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.

Chagnon, N. A. (1992). Yanomamo. Fourth Edition. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

Clearly, D. (1990) Anatomy of the Amazon Gold Rush. University of Iowa Press.

Ferguson, B. (1995) Yanomami Warfare: Apolitical History. Santa Fe: School for American Research Press

Lizot, J. (1985). Tales of the Yanomami: Daily Life in the Venezuela Forest. Cambridge University Press.

MacMillan, G. (1995. Gold, People, and Land in the Brazilian Amazon. New York: Colombian University Press.