The Trumaí Indians of central Brazil

Murphy, Robert Francis; Quain, Buell H. (Buell Halvor)

Book

The Trumaí Indians of central Brazil

J. J. Augustin • Locust Vally, N.Y. • Published In 1955 • Pages: xii,108

By: Murphy, Robert Francis, Quain, Buell H. (Buell Halvor).

Abstract
This brief but well organized monograph on the Trumaí Indians of the Upper Xingu River area in Brazil is a posthumous analysis and interpretation of Quain's field notes of 1938 by an equally competent fellow anthropologist, Murphy. It contains keen analyses of the personality, ethos, life cycle, and interpersonal attitude and behavior of the Trumaí, and adequate but less extensive accounts of their material culture and religion. This source mainly relies on the data gathered by intensive participant observation techniques but is also supplemented by library research of Murphy. Although Quain did not learn the Trumaí language until he reached the field and could not therefore use systematic interview techniques to gather his data, his keen perception, sophisticated observation techniques, and cordial relations with the natives resulted in interesting and seemingly reliable data on psycho-cultural aspects of the Trumaí people. Both Quain and Murphy frequently comment on possible bias of their data when there was any doubt about its reliability as well as on the natives' reactions to the ethnographer, which are helpful in interpreting data. This is one of the few sources available on the Trumaí, a disappearing culture, and may be the best on the social structure of the Trumaí.

Inter-ethnic relations

Regulation of marriage