Verified Document

Yanomami The Hopi Tribe: The Term Paper

The territorial distribution among the villages is irregular and the distance between villages may vary from a few hours walk to a ten day walk. Yanomami are basically peaceful people, however a number of them are brutal warriors. In majority of the cases, their militaristic skills are you to capture a woman in order to maximize the reproductive success of their best warriors. The general trend is that the militaristic villages are usually at a distance of several days walk from each other while the peaceful ones are usually at a distance of merely less than a day. The Yanomami do not live in the form of large populations and the villages will usually split when the population reaches 100 to 150 people. However, when there is war raging out there preferences change and they will not split before they reach a population of around 300 individuals. The reasons for a warfare can be numerous primarily the women and such warfare last for a considerably long time. Hence, warfare makes up a large part of Yanomami life. The extent to which they are involved in war can be measured by the fact that about 40% of adult males have killed another person and there is always a tendency that about 25% of adult males will die from some form of aggression. This cultural aspect is the most prominent factor of the Yanomami culture that distinguishes it from the Hopi tribe. As discussed earlier, the Hopi people are peaceful and avoid war and conflict.

The Yanomami people also strongly believe on the spirits and supernaturals as the Hopis do. The Yanomami people's customs are shaped by the belief that the natural and spiritual worlds are a combined force. They believe that everything is created by nature and is blessed. It is their faith that the destiny of all the human beings is inevitably linked to the fortune of the environment. Therefore, destructing the environment is going to lead to the total humiliation of humanity. Their spiritual leader is known as a "shaman."

The Yanomani people are not limited to spend their lifetime in warfare but they also actively participate in trade and business. It is also an important...

The trade usually involves barter transactions. One village who has the ability to ptroduce any goods will exchange those goods in return of the village wives of the village who is in need of those goods. The more the trade exchanges take place among the tribes the lesser are the chances of the war.
Another important aspect of the Yanomami life are the marriages. The marriage arrangements are not only critical in establishing partnership among the villages but also in keeping the peace between families as well. The majority of the marriages are prearranged and women are usually married at a very young age. The most preferable method of marriage is the cross-cousin marriage among the families which helps produce strong associations between families and villages.

The Yanomai people are to some extent in agriculture but it is not the main profession as is the case with the Hopis. Though a very short time of their day is devoted to this job, usually two to three hours, but it is quite a labor demanding process. The major crops grown by them include sweet potatoes, bananas, sugar cane and tobacco. Hunting is one of the primary activities of the Yanomami people. They spend considerable time in hunting and it may take up to several days. Men usually make up the hunters and the women the gathers. Men will go on long distant hunts that may last up to a week. Their hunting habits and their ability to spent weeks in the forest for the purpose of hunting is enough evidence for why they are able to survive in such deep forests. Since most outsiders have invaded the Amazon via the large rivers, the Yanomami have been able to live in isolation until very recently. Because of this they have been able to retain their culture and their identity which many Indians of the Amazon have lost. They were totally spared from the outer world until the 1980s. However, in the later periods they have suffered from several diseases and annihilations brought to them by outsiders.

References

Eggan, Frederick Russell: Social organization of the Western Pueblos: Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1950. 17, 373

Frederick Webb Hodge, ed.: Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico: Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 30, New York, Pageant Books, 1959: 560-568.

Lowie, Robert H.: The Hopi: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology: New York, Rinehard, 1940:…

Sources used in this document:
References

Eggan, Frederick Russell: Social organization of the Western Pueblos: Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1950. 17, 373

Frederick Webb Hodge, ed.: Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico: Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 30, New York, Pageant Books, 1959: 560-568.

Lowie, Robert H.: The Hopi: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology: New York, Rinehard, 1940: 452-467.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Brazilian Rain Forest
Words: 787 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

Brazilian Rain Forest. There are four references used for this paper. The world is filled with a variety of climates, each with its own type of habitants. It is interesting to examine the Brazilian Rain Forest and determine the life style and sustainability of the rare and exotic animals that live there. Understanding the Rain Forest Brazil is the home to almost half of the Amazon basin. The "river and forest system

Amazon Rain Forest
Words: 1018 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Global warming, natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes, and our quality of resources like air and water are all controversial topics today. Many people say that the benefits of industry and exploration outweigh the environmental costs, like fewer rain forests or the extinction of species. Others say that these environmental resources ought to be conserved, even if it means scaling back industrial operations like mining, logging, or production. And

Forest Fire Management Systems and
Words: 17324 Length: 63 Document Type: Term Paper

It was then important to see the degree at which technology and training played a role in combating each fire. 1.2.4.Rationale of the Study What is that can be gained from this study? The reasoning behind such a study is born out of a need to provide better training for fire fighters so that fire management systems will improve and reduce the amount of loss due to the fire. By studying

Forest People Colin Turnbull Colin
Words: 445 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

..for them it is a good world" (Turnbull 14). And although small in stature, Turnbull writes, they are able to kill elephants single-handed with only a short handled spear and blend so well with the forest foliage that one could pass right by without noticing them. Turnbull relates the BaMbuti customs, such as marriage rites, rituals and celebrations. His accounts of these people rings a magically encounter. Turnbull is so taken by

Forest Conservation
Words: 680 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Forests Conservation Forest Conservation Global warming has become a hot topic since last few decades and there have been continuous efforts in understanding its causes and drastic consequences over the environment. It is a simple term that relates to the increase in the temperature of the earth which affects the entire world equally. Global warming has advanced dramatically with the increase in the use of the hydrocarbons, excess burning of fossil fuels

Forest Ecosystems Are Functioning Units
Words: 580 Length: 2 Document Type: Lab Report

Some plants have very specific requirements for light; too much or too little sunshine will kill them. 5. Low Fecundity: Species produces few offspring. Note: species which care for their young either before birth (long pregnancy) and/or afterwards have fewer offspring than those who do not. 6. High Human Value: Species has characteristics that make it valuable to humans. Many animals have been hunted to endangerment, or even extinction, for their beautiful

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now