The Arakmbut of Amazonian Peru
By: Andrew Gray.
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Providence
Language: eng
Number of pages: 294
Subjects: Mashco mythology; Mashco Indians -- Religion
Description: "The Arakmbut are an indigenous people who live in the Madre de Dios region of the southeastern Peruvian rain forest. Since their first encounters with missionaries in the 1950s, they have shown resilience and a determination to affirm their identity in the face of many difficulties. During the last fifteen years, Arakmbut survival has been under threat from a gold rush that has attracted hundreds of colonists onto their territories. This trilogy of books traces the ways in which the Arakmbut overcome the dangers that surround them: their mythology and cultural strength; their social flexibility; and their capacity to incorporate non-indigenous concepts and activities into their defence strategies. Each area is punctuated by the constant presence of the invisible spirit, which provides a seamless theme connecting the books to each other."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: v. 1. The Arakmbut; title: mythology, spirituality, and history in an Amazonian community; title: v. 2. The last Shaman; title: change in an Amazonian community; title: v. 3. Indigenous rights and development.