The Yanomamo People

447 Words2 Pages
The Yanomamo People Completely isolated, on the border between Venezuela and Brazil, a large tribe of Tropical Forest Indians reside, they are the Yanomamo people. “They number approximately 12,000 people and are distributed in some 125 widely scattered villages” (CBS, 1983). There are many differences between the Amazonian culture of the Yanomamo people and the North American culture that we are accustomed to, but similarities can also be seen. The Yanomamo people are composed from a patrillineal decent. The Yanomamo culture is favored toward the men of the kinship. They ultimately believe that they are superior to women, as do some men in American cultures today. However, Yanomamo marriages are significantly different from that of the American culture. The Yanomamo women are viewed as objects of which the men of their kinship can obtain possessions through negotiations of the bridewealth. These negotiations are made between the men of the bride’s kinship and the men of the groom’s kinship. Once the marriage is finalized, the brides kinship will then receive the terms of the negotiation, as a “gift” in an attempt to ease the loss of a kinsmen. Yanomamo men demonstrate their power and masculinity by collecting as many wives as possible. Yet, the thought of fathering a female child is sometimes considered unacceptable. Therefore, Yanomamo women often kill the female infants to prevent upsetting their husbands. In American societies, these Yanomamo customs are referred to as polygamy and murder, both of which have serious consequences. Although, the men in Yanomamo societies practice different forms of polygamy, they tend to be contradictory with the belief that adultery is a horrific offense. This is similar to the American culture, yet, Yanomamo men are expected to retaliate in a violent manor. If a Yanomamo woman is suspected of committing adultery, her

More about The Yanomamo People

Open Document