Yanomamo: The Fierce People

Content Warning: As critics of Chagnon’s work have argued, Chagnon’s depiction of the Yanomami people may be sensationalized and may not accurately reflect the reality of the culture. Ethical concerns have also been raised regarding the nature of his interactions with the Yanomami people. Both the source text and this guide contain descriptions of graphic violence, violence against women, sexual assault, infanticide, and abortion. Additionally, the source text features outdated language regarding issues of race and ethnicity and sometimes reflects ethnocentric biases.

The Foreword is written by George and Louise Spindler, the editors of Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology. They provide an overview of the purpose of the case studies in the series, of which the source text is a part. The series in its entirety focuses on cultural anthropology. The editors also provide a brief background on Chagnon. Most of the Foreword focuses on a description of the book and the “violence” that Chagnon describes from his year and a half of living with them. The editors also emphasize the Yanomami cultural focus on violence, portraying them as engaging in chronic warfare that is characterized by graded escalations ranging from duels to full-scale raids. The book delves into the controls that usually restrain the drive toward annihilation and explores conflict resolution processes, including avoidance, settlement, and escalation.