The Arakmbut : mythology, spirituality, and history in an Amazonian community

Author(s)

Bibliographic Information

The Arakmbut : mythology, spirituality, and history in an Amazonian community

Andrew Gray

(The Arakmbut of Amazonian Peru / Andrew Gray, v. 1)

Berghahn Books, 1996

Available at  / 7 libraries

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Note

Bibliography: p. 302-312

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

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. Buy all three volumes for 20% discount

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

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