Yanomato
Yanomamo
As a population living in small villages in very large huts deep in the rainforests of Venezuela the Yanomamo tribe are hunters and gatherers. Yanomamö families live in large communal homesteads. Each family has its own hearth where members eat, sleep and store belongings. Hammocks are strung one above the other like bunks with the youngest children at the bottom.” (Nowak, 2009). Although they live in what to us would be communal living, they have separate areas for each family. This tribe is very male centered and extremely chauvinistic in that, the young males are taught aggression and that women are beneath them starting at a very early age. Infanticide is also practiced by the Yanonamo and is used for different reasons. The decision to kill your newly born child can be made utilizing the following justifications: the child was born a female, any deformity and ensuring a woman did not have children too close together. (Schwimmer, 2103) We do not believe that there could possibly be any justification for infanticide. Whether the baby born is physically handicapped and regardless of the sex the option of infanticide is not an option.
The Yanomamo rely on verbal stories to share their history, ancestry and myths. They do not write anything down. According to the website http://yanomamicatrimani.org/index.php/yanomami, “Yanomamo should never recite the name of his/her ancestors, nor should he/she keep pictures, films, tapes, or belongings of dead relatives. Everything belonging to a dead person – even his/her name – must be erased from the memory of the relatives, so that the dead person’s “spirit” can find peace in the “village of the ancestors.” (Saffurium, 2013 ). This practice is definitely opposite of how we remember our deceased family and friends. We keep pictures, videos, important items and anything that helps us to hold on to the memory of our loved ones in our lives. Having something tangible is important
As a population living in small villages in very large huts deep in the rainforests of Venezuela the Yanomamo tribe are hunters and gatherers. Yanomamö families live in large communal homesteads. Each family has its own hearth where members eat, sleep and store belongings. Hammocks are strung one above the other like bunks with the youngest children at the bottom.” (Nowak, 2009). Although they live in what to us would be communal living, they have separate areas for each family. This tribe is very male centered and extremely chauvinistic in that, the young males are taught aggression and that women are beneath them starting at a very early age. Infanticide is also practiced by the Yanonamo and is used for different reasons. The decision to kill your newly born child can be made utilizing the following justifications: the child was born a female, any deformity and ensuring a woman did not have children too close together. (Schwimmer, 2103) We do not believe that there could possibly be any justification for infanticide. Whether the baby born is physically handicapped and regardless of the sex the option of infanticide is not an option.
The Yanomamo rely on verbal stories to share their history, ancestry and myths. They do not write anything down. According to the website http://yanomamicatrimani.org/index.php/yanomami, “Yanomamo should never recite the name of his/her ancestors, nor should he/she keep pictures, films, tapes, or belongings of dead relatives. Everything belonging to a dead person – even his/her name – must be erased from the memory of the relatives, so that the dead person’s “spirit” can find peace in the “village of the ancestors.” (Saffurium, 2013 ). This practice is definitely opposite of how we remember our deceased family and friends. We keep pictures, videos, important items and anything that helps us to hold on to the memory of our loved ones in our lives. Having something tangible is important
References: Nowak, B., & Laird, P. (2010). Cultural Anthropology. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education. Schwimmer, B., 2013, retrieved from http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/tutor/case_studies/yanon Saffuruim, Giovanni, Tosello, Matthew, 2013 retrieved from, http://yanomamicatrimani.org/index.php/yanomami