A furore has developed over the alleged misdeeds of a geneticist and anthropologists as they studied the Yanomami Indians of the Brazilian and Venezuelan rain forests in the 1960s. They may also have been unfairly characterised as fiercely warlike in staged documentaries. What is more, some of the scientists' work with the tribe was sponsored by the United States Atomic Energy Commission, raising questions about government motivation to test a theory of genetic hardiness in the face of challenges such as epidemic disease. If the accusations are not true, then Tierney managed to fool editors and a major publisher with many sensationalised reports, all libellous in nature. The jury is still out on the subject.
Anthropology is the study of human beings.
Medical anthropology is the study of how humans face illness and disease within their cultures. Whenever researchers in these fields gaze at their research subjects with anything less than full respect, people invariably suffer, and researchers should make amends. Anthropology, as a discipline, has been cleaning up its behaviour for the past few decades. In the last few decades, anthropology has undergone heavy critique, and professional ethics committees now oversee research. However, reviewers have reported that the most serious accusation is the supposed inoculation of the Edmonton B measles vaccine to thousands of Yanomami Indians, an indigenous people who may have been an inappropriate choice, and, consequently, hundreds of them died.