Crimes against a people in the name of science should never be an excuse. If anything should be done in the name of science, it should be the return of the Yanomami blood to its owners.
Decades ago, Napoleon Chagnon and James Neel began studying the Yanomami. Like all researchers, they found a way to get the most out of their test subjects. For the Yanomami, it was through trade—knives and fishing hooks in return for blood samples.
It began innocently enough. The anthropologists got what they wanted and the Yanomamo went on with their newly acquired goods. A symbiotic relationship made in history book heaven. However, all good things must come to an end.
When someone feels threatened, they almost never play nice. The Yanomami are no exception to this.
Word travels fast, even through the seemingly impenetrable Amazon. When the Yanomami heard that the blood samples taken decades ago were still being housed by scientific institutions, it aroused the “fierce” nature described by Chagnon in the sixties.
With a conviction that can only be described as religious, the Yanomami are fighting for the return of the blood so their ancestors can finally rest in peace.
“Rest in peace” is a phrase has been used repeatedly in western society when a person passes away. It may have lost its effect from overuse but in the Yanomami society, it is ever powerful.
"Yanomamo" in their language means "man." It is easy to place the blame on Chagnon and Neel but reality is that the Yanomami are like artifacts to many anthropologists—to be used for information. Once the anthropologists come to see these people as "Yanomamo" instead of test subjects and blood samples, then the issue may finally be resolved and the blood returned to their rightful owners.
Until then, the debate will continue and the Yanomami will never rest in peace.
1 comment:
I encourage everyone who reads this to research the issue and make up their own mind about what to do with the Yanomami blood samples.
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