Yanomamo: The Fierce People

How might Chagnon’s conversational tone and sensational accounts of his time living with the Yanomami have contributed to the book’s status as a bestseller? On the other hand, how might these two aspects create a negative response to his work?

How do Yanomami alliances change in response to successful or unsuccessful raids, and how does reciprocity shape relationships between different villages?

How do leadership positions occupied by people like Kaobawä and Damowä function in Yanomami society? How do they maintain order, and what traits make an effective Yanomami leader? Highlight at least two to three examples from the text to support your analysis.

One of the main controversies surrounding Chagnon’s work was the lack of consent when he obtained his genealogical data. How is this issue addressed within the book, and how does it affect the widespread perceptions of Chagnon’s fieldwork?

How do Western views of kinship clash with that of the Yanomami, especially regarding who is or is not considered appropriate to marry?

How do cultural norms and taboos, such as the prohibition against drinking water when wounded with a bamboo arrow, influence Yanomami behavior during and after raids?

Kaobawä and Rerebawä are Chagnon’s two most important contacts among the Yanomami during his fieldwork. Using examples from the text, analyze their differences and similarities, particularly concerning their relationships to Yanomami cultural norms.

How do the three environments in which the Yanomami live (the physical, the social, and the intellectual) affect their culture and approaches to life, and how do they, in turn, affect these environments?