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yanoma. Yanomamo Indians : The Only Culture Without a Big Mac Catholic
Missionaries have been visiting untouched villages in remote ...
Submitted by monicamassey24 on June 8, 2006
Category: Book Reports
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Yanomamo Indians : The Only Culture Without a Big Mac
Catholic Missionaries have been visiting untouched villages in remote areas of the world for many years. In search of those who do not know about God these missionaries bring with them disease and unknown customs. In exposing the negative results of progress through examining the massive effects on the Yanomamo Indians an awareness of a growing problem can be brought about. Progress meaning industrial change and the effect it has had on even the smallest parts of the world.
The Yanomamo Indians live in villages located between the Mavaca and Orinoco Rivers in Venezuala and Columbia. The area is filled with tropical forests and is very remotely located in the highlands. They have a complex language with no writing... Their clothing is more decorative than useful. Their lives are relatively easy because they spend about three hours a day working. Their diet is rich in plantains and other things they grow in their garden.
With the help of acculturation by catholic missionaries the yanomamo Indians way of life continues to change. The missionaries have started schools and have economic “cooperatives” in the villages. As a result of this the children wear clothing that they once never needed and have access to items they never needed. Take guns for example. When the missionary camps started trading with guns, initially used for hunting, warfare amongst the Indians reached a whole new level. Because of this other tribes of Indians needed guns to defend themselves. As a result the tribes became dependent upon the missionaries and their culture was forever changed and is slowly becoming lost.
The missionaries encourage the Yanomamo to move in from the highlands to the territory closer to the river, where they are more accessible to Western medicines and influences. This makes them more vulnerable to diseases. An anthropologist named Napoleon Chagnon was allowed...
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