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Sto caricando le informazioni... The Land of Naked People: Encounters with Stone Age Islandersdi Madhusree Mukerjee
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On a lush, remote island, modern civilization has recently made contact with what may be the last group of Stone Age people. The Sentinelese wear no clothes, do not know how to start a fire, and have fervently rejected the intrusion of outsiders. But that is changing, writes Madhusree Mukerjee, who has had exceptional access to that island and the others that make up the Andaman chain in the Bay of Bengal. Over seven years, Mukerjee found that other aboriginals on the islands have abandoned their ancient ways for enticements such as motorcycles and plastic toys. The price: outsiders have taken critical land, introduced serious diseases, and left the natives with a broken sense of self. This book offers unprecedented insights into the processes of colonization and modernization, the persistence of harmful myths about "savages," and the perennially fraught relationship between light- and dark-skinned peoples. Mukerjee gives us a fascinating look at a world nearly gone. Combining anthropological findings with historical accounts and personal travel stories, she lets us glimpse a primeval, disappearing humanity. Non sono state trovate descrizioni di biblioteche |
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Google Books — Sto caricando le informazioni... GeneriSistema Decimale Melvil (DDC)954.880049911History and Geography Asia India and South Asia Southern India Andaman and Nicobar IslandsClassificazione LCVotoMedia:
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The history is confined to contacts over the last three centuries or so; nothing written is available from the tribespeople themselves and no-one seems to have asked them of their oral history. Modern stories are mostly from the point of view of the Indians whose policies of aggression, bribery and totally ignoring the desires of the local populace in favour of their own industries and resettlement of Bangladeshi people are more or less a continuum from the rule of the British in that part of the world.
The author had to get permission to visit the tribal areas. She was aware that each added modern contact would threaten the survival of the tribes still more and acknowledges that she is part of that process. She nevertheless proceeds to try and get permission and when it is refused, goes ahead with her visit anyway. This is where I have a real problem with her stance of 'what have we done to the noble savage: we've done so much it can't hurt if I go too and take them some cloth and tobacco bribes'. Geez....
One tribe, the Sentinalese, live on a very isolated island, which the author also tries to reach but gets no further than a boat off-shore. These people have kept their freedom and seem to be living in their own way. No-one has yet got past their bows and arrows to penetrate the interior to begin logging and selling their patrimony. It will happen, but let's hope that their aggression and the world's eye keeps modernity just off shore. ( )