Band Societies, Present and Past

1
Band Societies, Present and Past

• Wilson- Chapter 5
• Indigenous South Americans of the Past and
  Present

2
The Paleoindian Period

• 13,000- 10,000 B.P.
• Climate and Vegetation
• Hunters and gatherers (Andes)
• Climatic changes in the northeastern lowlands
  tropical rain forests
• Flora and Fauna
• Figure 5.13 camelid, paleolama, hippidium,
  megatherium (giant sloth), arctotherium (bear).
• Butchering marks evidence (hearths, dwellings).

3
The Paleoindian Period

• Key Paleoindian Sites
• (see figure 5.1)
• Fells Cave
• Monte Verde Site
• Pikimachay Cave
• Tibitó Site
• Taima-Taima Site
• Caverna Da Pedra Pintada
• Pedra Furada Rock Shelter

4
Band-level Marginality

• The Ona and Yahgan
• Physical Environment
• North- Pamica
• South Hamska
• South eastern- Aush
• Mode of Production
• Meat- guanaco, and cururos (summer) and marine
  mammals
• Settlement Pattern
• Low population
• Huts made with skin over poles moss
• Mode of Reproduction
• .10-.11 per square mile
• High infant mortality
• Tallest (males 173 meters,
• women 160 mts.)

5
The Ona

• Domestic Economy
• Clothing and body paint
• Guanaco fat mixed with red soil
• Body paint red, black and white
• Symbolic meaning?
• Social Organization
• Monogamous, exogamous
• Patrilocal levirate
• Klóketen (boys initiation)
• Political Economy
• Headman, 38 territories
• Dead whales
• warfare
• Ritual and Leadership
• Shamans (Xon )and the darts
• Klóketen
• Ideology Mythological heroes Sun Moon

6
Band-level Marginality

• Yahgan-Yamána
• Physical Environment
• South archipelago
• Temperatures range 2-8C
• Fauna
• Mode of Production
• Hunters and Gatherers-sea mammals
• Canoes
• Food sources
• Settlement Pattern
• Two types East West, mobility
• Mode of Reproduction
• Methods for birth control
• Shortest indigenous people (men 160 women 145
  centimeters)

7
The Yagan-Yamána

• Domestic Economy
• Fire
• Clothing fish oil , body paint
• Social Organization
• Nuclear, monogamy, sororate, bride wealth and
  gender equality
• Political Economy
• 5 dialect groups, separatists, high sense of
  honor, low warfare
• Ritual and Leadership
• Puberty rite
• themes
• Ideology
• Watauineiwa

8
Band-level Marginality

• The Nukak
• Physical Environment
• 10,000 square miles
• Rainforest climate
• Mode of Production
• Fauna
• Flora- horticulturalists
• Settlement Pattern
• High mobility- factors?
• Mode of Reproduction
• Tribe size, family size

9
The Nukak

• Domestic Economy
• Depilation of body face paint
• Facial expressions
• Social Organization
• Small kin groups
• Monogamous, exogamous
• Political Economy
• Extended affiliations, endogamous and territorial
  
• Ritual and Leadership
• Ideology
• Taboos three levels to the world

10
Conclusion

• Effects of colonization on band-level groups
• Effects of climate and resources
• Contemporary band societies
• Similarities?
• Differences?
• Continuity?