The research presented here argues that monkeys are central to Guaja cultural identity in ecological, sociological, and symbolic domains. The Guaja Indians are a foraging people who are currently in transition to a more settled, horticultural mode of production. The Guaja number approximately 265 individuals and are located today on four indigenous areas on the eastern border of Amazonia, in the state of Maranhao, Brazil. Also located in the area are seven species of monkeys with which the Guaja interact: the red handed howler monkey (Alouatta belzebul belzebul), the owl monkey (Aotus infulatus), the brown capuchin ( Cebus apella), the Ka'apor capuchin (Cebus kaapori), the black-bearded saki (Chiropotes satanas satanas), the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus), and the golden-handed tamarin (Saguinas midas niger). Ecologically, monkeys are a key seasonal food resource. They are the most frequently eaten animal type in the wet season and largely determining the trekking behavior of the Guaja. Further, much of the ethnobotanical knowledge of the Guaja focuses on plants edible for monkeys, reflecting their importance in the diet. When adult female monkeys are killed for food, their orphaned infants are raised as pets, which are considered to be nearly human, to the extent of being incorporated into their kinship system and treated as surrogate children. The apparent contradiction between monkeys as food and monkeys as kin is rendered logical in the symbolic cannibalistic beliefs of the Guaja religion which are largely animistic and bear similarities to the religious beliefs of other Tupi-Guarani speaking peoples of lowland South America / acase@tulane.edu
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TULANE/oai:http://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/:tulane_26028 |
| Date | January 2000 |
| Contributors | Cormier, Loretta Ann (Author), Balee, William L (Thesis advisor) |
| Publisher | Tulane University |
| Source Sets | Tulane University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Access requires a license to the Dissertations and Theses (ProQuest) database., Copyright is in accordance with U.S. Copyright law |
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