Brazil's Indians and the Onslaught of Civilization

Book excerpt: The Yanomami and Kayapó, two indigenous groups of the Amazon rainforest, have become internationally known through their dramatic and highly publicized encounters with “civilization.” Both groups struggle to transcend internal divisions, preserve their traditional culture, and defend their land from depredation, while seeking to benefit from the outside world, yet their prospects for the future seem very different. Placing each group in its historical context, Linda Rabben examines the relationship of the Kayapó and Yanomami to Brazilian society and the wider world. She combines academic research with a wide variety of sources, including celebrated leaders Paulinho Payakan and Davi Kopenawa, to assess how each group has responded to outside incursions. This book is a substantially revised edition of Unnatural Selection: The Yanomami, the Kayapó, and the Onslaught of Civilization, originally published in 1998, and includes a new chapter examining the controversy for anthropologists studying the Yanomami following the publication of Patrick Tierney’s book Darkness in El Dorado. Another new chapter focuses on the resurgence of Northeastern indigenous groups previously thought extinct. The magnitude and significance of indigenous movements has increased greatly, and a new generation of Brazilian indigenous leaders, proficient in Portuguese, is participating in the national political arena. Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2005