essay

Tapirapé social and culture change, 1940-1953

Anais do XXXI Congreso Internacional de Americanistas • São Paulo • Published In 1955 • Pages: 99-106

By: Wagley, Charles.

Abstract

Wagley first studied this group during 1939-1940 and he revisited them for a short time in 1953. He found that the depopulation of the tribe had continued and that in 1953 there were only 51 individuals left - the rest having died or moved far away. There was a new settlement in Caraja territory and the Tapirapé were rapidly being acculturated, especially since the shamans, traditionally the conservative element in the culture, had all died and none had taken their place. Wagley concludes that their culture remained remarkably stable in the face of the violent disruption of the society, but has been modified by borrowing and by the loss of trait and pattern due to the reduction of the population and disorganization of the society.

HRAF PubDate

2010

Region

South America

Sub Region

Eastern South America

Document Type

essay

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Timothy J. O'Leary; 1960

Field Date

1939-1953

Coverage Date

1939-1953

Coverage Place

Tapirapé river area, far northeastern Mato Grosso state, Brazil

Notes

Charles Wagley

Includes bibliographical references

LCSH

Tapirapé Indians