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I very first read this book in 2000, from a public library. It is an enduring read with a compelling story-line. I bought my own copy recently because I knew I would want to re-read it many times. So far, it has been passed around at work - I'm not sure who has got it right now.
The biography of a Venezuelan tribe, from the point of view of a shaman, Jungleman, during a time of great transformation - externally and internally. At times critical of the colonialism of anthropologists, the account is honest in its description of the brutality of the tribe's practices, and provides a unique insight into things spiritual, to which Westerners are typically blind.
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Recommended by a friend, but I did not enjoy the book. The author seems to place the crude perspectives of the jungle inhabitants on a moral pedestal. Great for tree huggers and naturalists, but I am neither.
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If you've seen Apocalypto you'll like this excellent book!
In this disarmingly honest ethnography the spirits take the front row, they seem to rule the life of the rainforest Indians by ruling over the shaman. Some shamans decide to change their old ways. They throw away their spirits and embrace the spirit, the one spirit that created all other spirits. Some famous anthropologists think they should not change, but keep on living with their spirits in their old ways.
In a reflective moment toward the end of his life, Jungleman, the talented Yanomamo shaman who told the stories recorded by Mark A. Ritchie, confesses, "now even I have stopped many of the old ways. We don't kill any more or drink bones or rape or take ebene." Ebene is a hallucinogenic drug growing on the ebene tree, used by the shamans to assist in contacting the spirits, Ritchie explains. Now this is a testimony of the power of transformation in a Yanomamo's way of life, of the violent old ways replaced by the new ways. It is as simple as that. The shaman left the old way of the spirits and lives the good life.
Jungleman continues his meditation: "The only sad thing is my son. He still has that disgusting spirit of the deer. Whenever friends come to visit, he disappears into the jungle and doesn't come back for days. But not even the peace and beauty of the jungle can hide the war of fear that runs wild in him." What a sad situation. The shaman cannot force his son to leave the old ways, it has to come from within.
Any regrets? Jungleman: "I wish I had known the truth about Yai Wana Naba Laywa when I was a young man - it would have saved me so much pain and misery. But how could I? My spirits lied so much to me and tricked me. They were so beautiful, so wonderful, so hard not to want. They were the best at telling me split-truth. Now I'm at the end of this life, and I'm ready to begin my real life with Yai Pada." Yai Wana NAba Laywa and Yai Pada are the same being, Ritchie explains, they are the foreign spirit for Yanomamo.
The Yanomamo lived in pain and misery as long as their world was dominated and ruled by the spirits of the rainforest.
Shoefoot said, "We Yanomamo are tired of people coming to our lands to make money studying us." "I am not an animal to be studied." But "If you don't like people to come and study you, what kind of people do you want to come into your land?" "We want people who will help us improve our way of life, not just write books about us. We want people who will really care about us, like the man who came to my village and put his arm around me when I was covered with dirt, sweat, saliva, and mucous. This man shared in our suffering. He cares about our children. He showed us something we knew nothing about - love."
Shoefoot said about white people that keep telling them to keep their old ways, "They mock my people. I've lived my whole life ere in this jungle. If they think they know the best way to live here, let them come and show us. And tell them not to bring any guns with them. And no clothes. We'll even show them how to grow yucca before we send them off to their wonderful life in the jungle." He continues, "People who talk like that do not know of the pain of my people who still live in misery every day. Am I a dog, that I should have my wife and children live in pain all the time because of what your people in your land say?"
Plain and simple, trading places would be a good way to go before giving advice. And if somebody is masochist enough to enjoy hell, why should that be the standard of a good live for everybody else?
The leader of a village at Mavaca, Kaobawa, "became angry with his spirits because of all the misery that kept coming to his people. All his brothers died, and his children. His spirits kept telling him to kill. Finally he threw them away in disgust. He thought that they might kill him, but he didn't care."
Jungleman about his deliverance from the spirits that lived with him all his live: "Don't throw us away, Father," the Jaguar Spirit begged me...We all know that when your usefulness is over, they will come and take you away - kill you, is what I mean. ... They were trying to kill me...My spirits pounded on my chest... Even though I knew I should expect it, I couldn't believe that my closest friends in all the world were doing this to me. Even Charming was with them... I lay on the ground in the cloud of brightness and I saw my whole life, and I saw how completely tricked I had been...Everything they said was a lie. And such clever lies too!...I had been used by my spirits for their pleasure."
"Yai Wana Naba Laywa reached out and grabbed me. I felt so safe. That's why it doesn't hurt, I thought. He stood over me, pulled me away from my spirits, and said to me, `Don't worry. You'll be all right. I'm here to protect you.' Then with a big voice the spirit said to my spirits, `Leave him alone. He's mine.' They scampered in every direction, like a heard of terrified hogs. And he was right; I was his."
"At that moment I felt safer than ever in my life." Jungleman wanted to throw his spirits but they wanted to kill him, so he had some help and the spirit (Yai Wana Naba Laywa) "suddenly decided to free me from my spirits." This is a story you can find in other forests of our purple earth, if you want a second opinion. It rings true to me. It is "gripping" and "hard to put down," and yes, "gut-wrenching."
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Do missionaries preserve or destroy cultures? If you have ever thought about this question this book gives interesting insight for thought from the perspective of a Shaman from a tribe in Venezuala over a period of 30 years. A very helpful, confronting and encouraging book.
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I really like this book...our pastor recommended it and at very first I wondered how it would apply...it is a great picture of these people's transformation from negative spiritual influence to positive (i.e.demonic forces and God) and how even in the middle of the jungle God still sought them out!!! Powerful!!