1. 1996.25:179-200, 3 ‘versity of Toroste ou 0221/13. or personal use ant. a by U Rev. A Ann Annu Rev. Anthrepol. 1996, 25:179-200 Coprright © 1996 by snaual Reviews ie. AI rights reserved IMAGES OF NATURE AND SOCIETY IN AMAZONIAN ETHNOLOGY Eduardo Viveiros de Castro Departamento de Antropologia, Museu Nacional, 2940-040 Rio de Janciso RJ, Brazil KEY WORDS: Amerindians, society and nature, ecological anthropology, social anthropology ABSTRACT ‘This review discusses changes in Amazonian indigenous anthropology since the synthesis presented in the Handbook of South American Indians. the past few years have seen tte emergence of an image of Amazonia characterized by a growing emphasis on the complexity of indig social formations and the ecological diversity of the region. This new image of society aad nature is taking shape in a theoretical context characterized by the synergistic interaction be- tween structural and historical approaches, by an attempt to go beyond mono- causal explanatory models (whether naturalistic or culturalistic) in favor of a dialectical view of the relations between society and nature, and by hopes of a “new synthesis” that could integrate the imowledge accumulated in the fields of human ecology, social anthropology, archeology, and history. INTRODUCTION, ‘When the Annual Review of Anthropology last published an overall review of the field in 1975 (70), Amazonian anthropology was entering a period of un- precedented growth: In comparative terms, this literature seems to have i creased more than that of any other region over the past twenty years. This phenomenon has been celebrated by various commentators (40, 61, 117, 140, 151), who often mention a preboom collection of texts subtitled The Least Known Continent (87), and then add how fortunate the situation has changed. The optimism is justified. If, as Taylor (140) observed, there were no more than 50 monographs about indigenous Amazonia before the 1970s, then the subsequent explosion at least quadrupled this figure. In the past twenty years, many societies have been described for the first time according to modem 0084-6570/96/1015-0179808.00 Tesot of ope wing ve bn sed ye ‘Te of eh Sent eet eked ‘ow onthe ity sn sce n pie os ‘fe epee yd el em ty ‘rae ace Ths omg fe my bettn ee "THE STANDARD MODEL, ‘Tae cl ede yl ne cme eng re a mec oe fo Sern i ‘by run suman 0950 (39) nd are da ‘er its y var Pon 39 (13) Cony echo a Siamese oIncraeilcen ny ‘Se crian esa furore om etree ‘foe mis cle tre doy cl ne ano “rsa Fs mpl ser ccpig an erieel {ain Sn te cr Ceinctans (om we y il Sgpenedolarbroved sme ts nas fom [ollalsnge te tayo! Fo cues Soc ie as ei a apa of Ce a a 036157) sctagrercteettes ett ate erat‘The pc Tp Frat ews rg iano els ‘eveleescweiant ai sl pecans ye ‘Stalag an pe erica, ee mn thee ana mun spa lof ia pea i sc se pic Seren ta eg ‘Steen boven ies tt ral evens aoe art seme ar. Seca ores Bessie pose ey Si gare eno oenes Uelbaor ess 3m Campane tom wih LS (4-19, tah ny ft pet se 0 was on YL ash i {Sein enn espns wa one eo ec ‘cnc i ely cel eas sna ners wi non cign of ost etoy. Fin ar coma port eee an "ce wa ‘Sha nies mio “eae lr sve es noe Gived e l e seg, wl sl nal bee ee tes opal Ae ‘ST Undmut smapa of ay-Lewta () adie C), ‘Sn cco Ue ces 0bAtepingeemleminytmeration fBoin ski hovig ESS win Scent i oa moc oreo {brace 2m 1 1, aoe 159) shes naan oe ‘sco Ee td Ne Acres nse, 0 pe raceme acne falas etme eer cn ose Api et On ‘Sunless een Toy ee ‘toe an ses mons te ste ye, as lege ce sing unr by sakes nd ty Be eon ii ‘nao we Comm reign tent a teats spent dacs pe tat we snemoe n a ‘nc png vice Cann egies ‘Sr wh eco cna er is ag ‘pha ie we ete ‘nl a on npn Sh wpa i sen hago: nd spe ten den de oo st ‘pectoral on ey ont tel wir iy ‘Thon icy pc erie Clos G3 an on ee Sie eran of cna ms te Spe ee cogent ‘THE PASSING OF THE STANDARD MODEL, Tel stvetne bn ring regi Tepe rm ‘i rue des sn sy kt aay oh ‘ia ce svn ta ec ao reAu us aise ie iat Annan es ‘eal ae tng cli pes (9) coa e ‘ti opts clita thn enon fs tansy wae ‘Sonny nt a fom atone ren es ‘So eo rere my ieee of a ua. (Spero dynein mere an mio ‘pcm tsa iene use cae es oc ‘yet cerned yn) Sere a ‘Wit ies ia aie me mpernintefe l ‘asmetancplpal ina cohen Hans Roots eat pnt hen tao bin doe ig (Ga at ter te ter are en ef tee de nas oie ba ‘Mec G7, int sen (1) beni e pe peng {isa ant amingialvorty ohn tse pation hla timc geas ome non oy re co ‘She ory om oa ah. ‘tevin tan er roa se ont a sc ‘cnn ae red pein seus, ted yh at a roan ctr lout of ea Ee (cen ea pec eb mere ae ‘Scere es uo tt lon ty tat etn ce ‘Sar ern omen eco pm es rit ret ssw om btn ee ‘ont eon cesoge oe neing cer ine elt ‘Se lp (Tate ach he aol reeee sat ype of pn et lla harm mil {i ho on art ght cs ee ett ng mba {net calopel tae ta wc sta: ren — ‘org ty earth oo ening ee" (pS en oe Grin Siemon ot 5.1. th Grsctige kina stlagendgn 231, ‘Socios cneare een tigen ope og ‘or aapninm e Dhich ne pe ome np ‘Seca nyenei}endslow seralccngytmean cy“a ly smal peo et Eas lye sce of ‘logy Tine ei pif a ht ens Frater nge meteor tn aoe SS etteanral nee orator mepes ees al (try of erin pir wowing mal yo ‘She or are pe ng he pct er“ ‘eso Te toe wit a Eo a ‘Sccccimtneorsbpeeton’ wie naan ey 2 prpgueme geese soe ey etealin hel, ne en aay Saye eeee Soares erection = cneceeetceeen pee ons ees eee Ente ia iactemmerc on ace ae eae een earn eee eee Serco eee pean eens mraueee pear eee a career Soecne aeeeteees Stearn etaesip apres eerie See esate oer eae pees eet Sisco ena Ses eer ce ae Serie arora ein Sones essen Sees erence tr bn nny ree een yop ms aftNATURE AND SOCIETY IN AMAZONIA 186 the theoretical context in which it was produced.> However, Roosevelt was not the first to break the traditional continuity between approaches that attrib- ute to the physical environment a causal value in the interpretation of Amazo- nian social forms and the naturalizing ideology that since the sixteenth century has depicted the inhabitants of the New World—particularly the peoples of the tropical forest—as prime representatives of “Natural Man,” unable to at- tain civilizational autonomy because of their adaptive subjection to a hostile, restricting nature (31). Lathrap had already proposed the idea of Amazonia as the cradle of complex societies and a focus of cultural diffusion and formu- lated the argument against “ethnographic projection” (74, 75). Cameiro (for a recapitulation, see 24) had already contested Meggers’s notions about Amazo- nia's agricultural limitations and offered a theory of the emergence of political centralization, which in fact is adapted and used by Roosevelt. And as early as 1952, Lévi-Strauss had mentioned the “centers of civilization” in Amazonia and discussed the “false archaism” of several present-day peoples (82, 86). As Cameiro observed, Roosevelt indulged in not a few self-serving anachronisms when she treated the Steward-Meggers model as if it had si ed unscathed to the present. Moreover, these theses face a number of problems. The central role as- signed in Parmana (119) to the theory of technological change and to the cul- tivation of maize in the evolution of chiefdoms disappeared in Roosevelt's later work on Marajé (123). The later work is thus left without any specific causal hypothesis, a weakness she herself had criticized ten years earlier in the work of other authors. In its insistence on a generic contrast between varzea and terra firme as the determining factor of Amazonian cultural evolution (119, 124}, hor modo! is outdated in relation to the more differentiated and less negative view of terra firme mentioned above and is a traditional example of “ecological determinism’ (history seems to come into the picture only after the European conguest). At times the model seems to incorrectly assume that the uplands were uninhabited before the European invasion (24), or else that all groups that happened (or still happen) to live there were marginal peoples cast out from the alluvial paradise, as if there were an irresistible tropism in every society, whatever its regime of social production and reproduction, to- ward abstractly more fertile areas. The model also reifies the distinction be- iween tiverine chiefdoms {which Roosevelt compared to the Indus valley, the ‘Minoan and Mycenaean city-states, and the Ashanti (I24)] and the social sys- tems of the uplands, past or present. It would be more reasonable, considering the cultural substratum common to all of Amazonia, to imagine a gumsa/gum- > See, Zor instance, S Hugh-fones (66) and Riviére (118), who mentioned Roosevel’s theses bout the vérzea in order fo suggest thet the clan hicrarchis of the Nortawestem Amazon had @ auch more merked socioeconomic significance in the pas am—Z-amalape drei (15025 hi alg in prey Am ‘Sib scan! credence op ihe oft acd tee foe uy ad sly ‘Sirmione “The roca feeders be fom te lil, ‘evel nite mano cao spun stad by ahs ‘es ora pre ers oun say ce bes mtn Shaye teal ‘ating ce Whe (1) see pees ee Peoria Social Anbropolgy ‘hemye commenter of ante of conor ppie ee {athe oso epithe et a apa ‘lic ded othe ck Send (36,19 nls ‘Sowa Jet sd ine Asn ae Bld wa age ot ‘nee ilps Litem colt yon st Sh ‘ene einen ade esos (Sens) ee ney wel on wl ed ‘St ust how (6 yo mi te wae macau en won en Sexes inn” pips de Seah nn et 9 100, The eu. ‘tif Cl rain ote aided tar “hosting ssn poy aot meas ‘hsm npn fie pene oi ely SER Stone scansaes ape eerie pled daca an elm mater ee en ee ‘Shane tv) Oin I) eal sia pe Sif dr sy ne ‘Saeed (15, meno to done a at fe fo ‘au ac snd hed ope of Aman see eps {Gia 151015 10h nlp epson eae ‘wn tacoma Th eli Sab "ay vn sce ip in ot oes oo ‘Sika af bee se crus Sy ae ‘sven eed plan) be Hoe pace ee lamin! vena [Beste tna cx wes lap pon 2 Te $e arte sang omen epee pn ‘i see fe nd seal a ap 5 ‘Prope cing nn in (er Onno 32 he ‘ean eis be Us Mg ae 1596 ra oe SEE he a Aan foci fo The pl ple ed ‘wes tector anette Caterer ‘esau iat derten nial erecta 60 There eve ae ea sn coe ne oA ssn neces Tadashi lee sop iin 1 Sasol acme sl and ee lg ecg ema ‘mtn tee) evi me ane Te fe pl SE eens es ‘ee ee Aroa ope (1,11, wh soe ts ‘Stra con ern ves eps oe “So” The tng of Clr) toe Sl ae: ete omnes he nc of Sant atte acne psc Sree eisai cael Rance ped mae cow ‘inl eatin ns cae) fren of ig testhe do tl we orn To hi, Tamale cs tei der oer yongur me henge mosey ea fe ‘beter lof Cee an ‘epee dtwateg comps ty oe on Sr at fenowar tons aun cap si oe Socgeoa) dans owe ate en Rie er Ie nd pepo io ts) ak Srey seers hy ps ‘iat he nea xe mappa nstanme oe ‘evn ecm eon een ag Seeerosteret olor ere of agro ci “Feo wee alco of ey” en ‘strana de tarmersnas 9510 12,29) ced ‘re enue ot meso pon prt “fii ty rte simning roo eo ‘Eiploeny ed Septet ey oe mn sp ‘Selphcpinan empanadas ‘Sevctasvesommatndjctngailagyef ces aloo {Si sey ero «menacing Sf dae enc ‘Sma me tet ip eel peal eon’ ‘Mp’ psn nan erat epee ‘ers ce ne loge uy ee jaws one ere fin prey vis chants Wham Ser ts ee tay ae tn se ‘Sines pcos staaty oe tpt any mo ‘Sei ar hes fy Alghero Seco ei ckycobtjagecdin epaat soca ey, ‘nh in cay ro ai era ‘cis oir ee rin csp lg A ‘Sin ey ctr ef patent peo ae ‘Sted cy ite “het ee ayols cen f alery” of nc ind tng yan 3,63, 1h, 1 85). a ‘cede nots a at ie Ye ‘tae pedigree oat er GO. ‘ny meng uns nc ten bere one (Wot peal seme cf no son lmu ei ft mdm cin of el SS th Sci hn tei been ate el, ‘gm eshmge eu wd cai ing, shams fry) SE Sern cepa pl ty Boy {edtoacitiqn ofthe notion of Soi a seed cella nto my 2 smcoee blr eel oe ae aap 159 Sara Ne thoy cna Oe BSS ‘Sing mp eu snore asp ee ‘Tsugest ine witerofed macrartoinger oreo, ‘tly up” ndeaing ve awl ess ‘pen (58a eninge ls tc ey oe ‘Stiinitoten tert Annum cep per "hs ac ats co he eng Sn cg vies oft aon ben te cy = Ase ‘ere elec hs paling sine ees ‘cm ft Aaa Se (7 wi ety et ‘Spun of i Penn on ated ee ‘SS we Sar an cam, Seen ‘hte itor eet rode pasa ene nd ase event obs ob ta ced ac afr iors ‘Sapy met ssn pol eu adnan a rs. os ma a home ‘ioe ep te stp mainly nse ee ‘esol at dna» Sal oto mts ssogy ch = ‘Sopa ste mae ony cnn ‘ie pace npte re econ Sal ene ‘bunt of he Wan ele ine ter amet ‘cds mia te Won” eee yc ‘a Steen in wha en poly eal wtp (Sh ats “etna? rtf Ammen te eorv accion eee Ey ae‘comin sch. Theo ln mde ih int we ‘Stal hap pate hae sc fa ae ‘Sree eel ee ae aa a ‘Se tr clare open ro be apne soso ‘rwon oe ue Sse 1) nd Cover a me nad ies Gt wn Hor mtu San) nee aco fat ‘bons win eid oa) attire pincer Saran ming mv fae oe Sotutceae iy chet ra ‘ean nen ey en wa ae Semen oy Hoey ‘Te ising o Arson ppl ft wig (et) This ‘ef uml one nay hs mae tie oae ‘teeing aw abt yt thos ean es fete tn a rae Fein ‘Shaiemra try ang one bac apis ‘ome hh ent bong cde nh Tivaprand omaieay mare A cman te we ig ‘iene oa oon apeed ese o ‘mown ps tires The bone feel at ‘ys pri tid ta, TT) ee mind ro dat tg nat inet tn cat {alse (shat seep woke aan tea utara rl ‘Te oi nd ty eater geet ome oh ne ry ‘Selatan Antanas ttn Tac enone nmi es ‘ie rns ener Sa Sn) Toe co ‘See ve etry of eterna Sirens“Toi of mak so wie ein enn bts ne ser nd Wate arg spa ‘iran pits by Seb arc 18 ar ey eng te feeunnd ty a menptas pg nt aed ‘nett poeta er Taree ef nel ne ta theca of Anamen seive Sca ong: Te muir eet te ld smn abe ne i on ‘to mi enoten ere sae omer oe od eter oy expe ison gro Pd 15 sce! ey ad tan empl pete eS Sine peo wera belt fide oan ‘nyo and “cculrwe” oie. Tat don abe wart team hcl on of ct pe ‘re en anya casey he pes Me ‘eau a aeons tl {Fate eae ea cnet en cael nels ‘i Teen pn a eb ld ll ‘Sree tense a tapes evel ap ‘rin tenement ante ‘ey ome pee Feo ots sy eae aa yan, an aa ll sey ad ie nes ‘eae woa une 10-150} Ae Gow Gl 55,Bora Fm Gat Poe 9 re tae pope cs hr Se os cgay of ‘ea cna nn aly enfants ad ‘tiovee tian tpt fa omg, sca, ny, ‘Shag senha retin etc wth a ‘ht 1) Thera he ening ea ee mn ra pipe a wi 7) or gy EEC, Almay «tonal planed abr fe ‘hn ih ol em ene mtr ho ‘ne ane yf pall age le SS iw yh sat oy‘CONCLUSIONS ‘at we Ht ad gl mii so age ‘waa ot toga opr arn ely ony ‘Songs humanised rocepcaly alec” "at eet Hsp arse neonate oe nr ‘tet rp petal lt rer cee et el ifataicnt nnd ye ere nao dees ‘Seige ie ey sw dy raw Thee ‘Ste te of ent soe prey recs bs ied (Ges veto ote pr gh ear epee oy aleve se ou ik ioe riting my prt uncof Amcinion cea at tac ie {Ets cps hare tpl eeh w ‘Se emanng apt of Wns cli, Tr fate, Std wcthaseny eon eet ne oper Ee Secs pp efbegometlog a Sar Calan mone ‘Scales ys apt cogil ean ‘Spemtnes Contec np wat ry ef Ae ‘nu Nana pour sole ee ef fen {ian mc te yee We sh ppl a ‘Seay ft pore i op 22 Be cy ry ‘lhe ene nt ar te 18 nation a ‘nomic bein tr———e ; emepetteernerinesrgemianatpg Senor Ease Ser inaccy my goeanetamee ‘evintteccpe those sinnee darter rn eae Sess inde nrcaatt ae Sates sameeren Speeetooereaemeee Siiecearmmeermeameces Snotie ie rceeeere Sticietaceeneeineet eee ees Sptaeerent eee Saanes orate set actecrwaat ee acu Shae ee Teepe er eA esata shen cares meio aneinemantn, Sphere acerca Laces eee ee eee ee Senteeeeseineenneemincns reenter oe See fee ithhotasenpeieemcne See eer Soe Seen Sendra erence Biosceeoeurrtntiemas Speer case ii ted orp te deo tae a pecmtirnceatmesnteasssthor ca ets yeh ny win od yt anne desir a seeming he el nase ‘Styne cae hy nest pe eis fc {nde of sons corel ne cee SSCS ccant eran cede fs. hoe tte Spe. Po empl at ae pha ed See ‘ase? thai we heaves lpn fe sepa, Pata to rn et ese eco iy ok See Se tomet ce 9 ohersSega er Desir! acuts or tinial snore cae ‘Sa tng of he taney commana ot ‘ein snags (mi ao, wf Stes ta Ca iets capone) othe ca tn a at ‘in sce om pentane depot: a ae ‘ties pine constr en pel od “ot” perpen vicy pare ere Sat eo tty nh (52a ely yee ‘gay tnt ar nny city 1 sage ot ae et