Article 3
Will Ross

Reflective Tag

Despite their horticultural identity, the Yanomamo share nothing else with the Iroquois. Male dominant, the Yanomamo pursue polygyny and exogamy as means to continually reinforce the low standing women have within their respective villages. Driven in part by their war-like culture, their culture makes for an interestingly insightful look into the differences between cultures with the same means of subsistence.

Article 3

In contrast with the Iroquoi, the Yanomamo are a distinctly different society despite their horticultural similarities. Defined by their male dominant culture and their preference for village exogamy, all aspects of the Yanomamo culture are dominated by men.

Married off at the tender age of 8 or 9 to men in their 20’s and 30’s, women are constantly reminded of their inferiority. Polygyny is promoted and desired and men routinely capture new wives during raids on surrounding villages. The use of Ayahuasca in males and the ritualistic promotion of their role as both warriors and shamans inherently exclude women and this exclusion from these religious ceremonies reinforces their low standing in the Yanomamo culture.

Rape and beatings are commonplace for women and infanticide frequently occurs as women tend to be seen as undesirable in comparison to male babies. Women are also excluded from resource gathering and their lack of direct contribution gives them no ‘bargaining chip’ in their villages.

Their constant subservience is encouraged in all aspects in life, in most part thanks to the role of warfare in the Amazonian region as a tool for population control. The culture of endemic warfare strengthens the men’s position as the sole protector of a village and serves to further marginalize women.