1. It is universally accepted that murder is wrong and in most cases should be followed by some kind of consequence. Where one culture may differ from another, is that of the consequence. In comparison between the Yanomamo and the United States disciplinary trends of murder, a completely different viewpoint arises. Here in the U.S. there is very little tolerance for murder, and unless you have retaliated in the sense of self-defence, you can expect a dreadful consequence. After reading Chagnan's article regarding the Yanomamo culture, their interpretation of laws regarding murder stand out. They have what seem like loose rules and laws meant to stop murder, but their culture seemingly follows them infrequently. They basically have the mindset that murder and killing is bad, but that it is the solution to many problems. They have a system of retaliation killings, or more simplistic, they can kill if they have a reason too. This is what makes them so different from Western cultures.
2. They follow a system of retaliation killings. Like the title hints, they are allowed to kill in retaliation to something that has happened to them. Say one of my kin is killed by a stranger, I now have the rights to kill someone from that man's kin in retaliation. It is a system that allows constant murder and killings, only if done out of revenge. You would be correct in thinking that this goes back and forth between the Yanomamo people always seeking revenge.
3. In a culture where death surrounds you, an edge or benefit over your enemy is always beneficial. What they call the Unokais, are those experienced with battle, or who have killed someone in their past. The title basically ensures you are a battle tested civilian. This title reaps its benefits however, as the Unokais are desirable by women, and generally have six wives or so at one time. In comparison with one who is not Unokais, a Unokais will have benefits that are meaningless to pass up. One thinks twice about starting a quarrel with someone who by title is known for the murder of at least one other person. Their attraction by women and respect given by name is also a desirable characteristic. One reason someone would pass up being a Unokais is the appearance of someone who avoids conflict, and wishes nothing but safety and peace.
4. -The Yanamamo have an interesting political structure in which a man, generally Unokais, will rule what type of murders occur. If one man kills another, a kin from the murdered man's family will approach the leader seeking validation that this murder will allow for revenge. The leader has the final say in sense. If a kin of the leader's family is killed, he can call upon other families in support of his raid of revenge. Therefore, it is wise to stay on the leader's good side.
- The Yanamamo don't hold a great variety of social status' in their culture, the most important to note are the non-unokais, the Unokais, and leader. A major factor of one's status is the amount of killing he has done. There are Unokais, but even some Unokais reign more respectable and superior based on their killings.
- It is very clear that kinship is a major factor in this culture. Your kin are almost your fellow army. For example, a relatively small family may think twice about a revenge raid on a family with great size in kinship. Though the brutality in this culture is rough, it really emphasizes the importance of kin and unity.
- The Yanamamo have an interesting trend in marriage and reproduction. As stated earlier, the Unokais are given the privilege of multiple wives. What the entails is that the more killings you participate in, the higher your status. The higher your status, the more wives you can marry. The more wives you marry the more offspring you will produce. That said, the men with many children are the men who have killed more and more. The children are the rewards of murder you could say.
5. After this article, I was a little confused and shocked. I had to reread parts of it to validate what I had been reading. This culture is driven by murder and revenge. They do have laws regarding murder and killing, but the laws just enable people to seek revenge. If you want to reap the benefits of the Unokais, you must bring bloodshed to "enemies". It has really made me thankful for the implementation of laws and rules we have in Western society regarding murder. Laws like we have here in the U.S. must be made and enforced not only to bring safety to our people, but to raise children in a world where they know killing is wrong, and severe punishments are given to those who participate in it.
Did you notice how you used the term "murder" instead of "killing"? It was very telling. "Murder" is a judicial term casting judgment on the act. While I understand your aversion given your Western background, the purpose of the assignment to try to understand this practice in terms of how it is used and WHY it is still practiced in the Yanomamo culture. If it is so terrible, why is it still there?
ReplyDeleteRemember that trying to understand a behavior doesn't mean you are granting approval. You are not justifying killing by studying why it happens. You needed to step outside of your culture for this assignment and be an anthropologist studying the Yanomamo.
Aside from the use of the word "murder", your post is quite good and does a great job of describing the practice. The only section where your judgmental tendencies get in your way is in the final paragraph. Your horror over this practice makes the question in section #5 all the more crucial: If killing is so horrible, why do people in our own culture do it? And are those reasons different from the reasons for killings in the Yanomamo? Why do we need laws against a practice that no one should want to do?