YANOAMA: The Narrative of a White Girl Kidnapped by Amazonian Indians

by Ettore Biocca ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 20, 1969

Helena Valero was ""about eleven or twelve"" when she was shot and captured by the Yanoama Indians in 1937, constantly warring tribes where killing was held in great esteem. This story was told to and taped by the director of a relatively recent Scientific expedition to whom she described her many years with them, primarily as one of the wives of the kindly tribal headman Fusiwe. Implemented by photographs (and a glossary which is needed), you will see them preparing curare or epena, a hallucinatory drug, along with the strange foods of their daily life (armadillo, toads, ants); painting and adorning themselves in outlandish fashions; Undergoing pubertal or death rites (endocannibalism--the ground bones of the dead reduced to dust and mixed with banana pap to be consumed by the relatives); etc. Eventually Fusiwe was killed by a poisoned arrow, and Helena, in spite of a successor and two more sons, finally made her way back to the white man's world. A unique document with ""no parallel in the history of American ethnology"" holding much interest for those in the discipline and a curiosa for the general reader (who may well flinch in spots--i.e. Helena's first childbirth).

Pub Date: Jan. 20, 1969

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1969

Categories: NONFICTION