Yanomami
1. In the film Yanomami: The Dying Tribe, how was the Yanomami’s mode of production changing, and why?
The Yanomami are classified as horticulturalists, using natural resources from the rainforest in order to survive. They take no more than they need to get by, in order to preserve these necessities and not endure ‘revenge’ from the Amazon itself.
However, it has become increasingly more difficult for the Yanomami to continue to gather, garden, and hunt successfully. The supply of fruitful resources has dwindled considerably, due to thousands of miners destroying the rainforest since the early 1980’s. In search of promised gold, these prospectors have damaged the forestry considerably, as well as the animal population which once thrived.
In addition to this devastation caused by hunting and powerful water hoses, mercury has also been used in the streams and rivers. This poisonous metallic element saturates the environment, and is ingested by the Yanomami. It ultimately creates a neurotoxin which is known to create prominent defects in the births and the actual development of children. Successful births have decreased, and therefore, the existence of the entire population at risk.
As if this isn’t enough, there is more devastation triggered by the minors: the increased presence of malaria. Because there are stationary pools of water left behind by these collectors, the population of mosquitos have increased considerably. These insects carry the deadly disease, which kills approximately 13% of the entire Yanomoni society each year.
2. What was the political/leadership system in Yanomami society called?
The political system of the Yanomami society is uncommon, in that it is referred to as the “Village Head”. This is a system which must be earned rather than inherited, when individuals show potential leadership abilities. The structure is not based upon one single person who makes decisions.
Because the society is divided into individual
The Yanomami are classified as horticulturalists, using natural resources from the rainforest in order to survive. They take no more than they need to get by, in order to preserve these necessities and not endure ‘revenge’ from the Amazon itself.
However, it has become increasingly more difficult for the Yanomami to continue to gather, garden, and hunt successfully. The supply of fruitful resources has dwindled considerably, due to thousands of miners destroying the rainforest since the early 1980’s. In search of promised gold, these prospectors have damaged the forestry considerably, as well as the animal population which once thrived.
In addition to this devastation caused by hunting and powerful water hoses, mercury has also been used in the streams and rivers. This poisonous metallic element saturates the environment, and is ingested by the Yanomami. It ultimately creates a neurotoxin which is known to create prominent defects in the births and the actual development of children. Successful births have decreased, and therefore, the existence of the entire population at risk.
As if this isn’t enough, there is more devastation triggered by the minors: the increased presence of malaria. Because there are stationary pools of water left behind by these collectors, the population of mosquitos have increased considerably. These insects carry the deadly disease, which kills approximately 13% of the entire Yanomoni society each year.
2. What was the political/leadership system in Yanomami society called?
The political system of the Yanomami society is uncommon, in that it is referred to as the “Village Head”. This is a system which must be earned rather than inherited, when individuals show potential leadership abilities. The structure is not based upon one single person who makes decisions.
Because the society is divided into individual