Yanomamo Warfare and the Struggle for Political Security

Anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon (left), known worldwide for his pioneering work in the Amazon rainforest, will speak Friday (13 April) at the University of Indianapolis.

Chagnon was one of the first outsiders ever to spend time with the isolated Yanomamo people of Venezuela and Brazil. His 1968 book Yanomamo: The Fierce People, detailing their hallucinogenic rituals and brutal ax fights, has been a staple of reading lists for generations of anthropology students.

The lecture, “Yanomamo Warfare and the Struggle for Political Security,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. in UIndy’s Ransburg Auditorium, 1400 East Hanna Avenue, Indianapolis. Presented through the Blanche E. Penrod Anthropology Lecture Series, the event is free and open to the public.

In the four decades since their way of life was first revealed to the broader world, the Yanomamo increasingly have been threatened by commercial and political interests and the encroachment of modern culture. Chagnon, now retired as a professor emeritus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, is at work on a new book. Though his success has brought him both admirers and critics, he remains one of the most recognized names in his field.

For more information: Christopher Schmidt of the Department of Anthropology,317:788-2103.