Hunter/Gatherer

It's hard to imagine that in the 21st century, there are still hunter/gatherer societies that exist in the world.

Indigenous tribes that have never been in contact with "the outside world", let alone the technology, symbols, mores and folkways that govern our lives.


Photo credits: Brazil National Indian Foundation (Funai)

So when I first saw these aerial photographs on the BBC News website of an uncontacted indigenous tribe in Brazil, I was mesmerized by their stark outward appearance and their reaction towards the plane circling above them.

According to Survival International (a worldwide advocacy group for the rights of tribal people), more than half the world's 100 uncontacted tribes live in Brazil or Peru. And they're under constant treat of extinction from disease and land loss due to illegal logging and lack of immunity against viruses such as the common cold. 

Photo credits: Brazil National Indian Foundation (Funai)


With our powerful technology coupled with our never-ending demand for land, it may be inevitable that these few remaining hunter/gatherer societies will encounter members of our society.

And then what?

Proponents of integration will argue that their way of life is best left in the "stone age" and that they would be better off living in a society that can offer a higher standard of living thanks to our technological "perks".

Ethnocentrism aside, is there anything to learn from studying these technologically simple societies? What do we stand to gain from researching a society that some would consider "inferior" to our own?

According to Sociology / John J. Macionis, Linda M. Gerber. - 6th Canadian ed. hunters and gatherers spend much of their time in search of game and plants to eat. And since they are at the mercy of uncontrollable events such as storms, droughts, accidents and illnesses, everyone must work together to raise everyone's chances of survival (85).


Photo credits: Brazil National Indian Foundation (Funai)

Which means everyone's work is equally important, regardless of gender. And while men and women perform different tasks, for the most part, they view each other as equals when it comes to socioeconomic importance (85).

And given their close ties to the natural world, they may hold the knowledge in unlocking the mysteries of homeopathic medicine and perhaps the cure for many of our pathogenic challenges.

We can stand to learn a lot from these hunters and gatherers by thinking more in terms of cultural relativism instead of ethnocentrism. But regardless of the level of technology, we all rely on the resources of the earth to sustain us. And unless we take the necessary steps to nurture and preserve our natural resources, the hunters and gatherers won't be the only ones facing extinction.

The Stone Angel



Photo Credit: http://digitalcollections.mcmaster.ca/

By MARGARET LAURENCE

Reviewed by JAMES RHA

Set in the fictional town of Manawaka, Canadian author Margaret Laurence paints a revealing picture of the impact of a lifetime of rancor and uncompromising pride through the eyes of a fictional character, Hagar Shipley.

Told in a first-person point-of-view, the reader is taken on an emotional journey that flips between past and present, as Hagar reveals intimate details of her stormy marriage, the death of her son, brother and husband, her failing health and eventual hospitalization.

Throughout the novel, Laurence executes her craft with remarkable insight and honesty as she introduces the reader to the inner workings of a mind full of disdain, suspicion, and unresolved pain.

Laurence's ability to create a three-dimensional character was evident from the myriad of emotions that I felt towards Hagar Shipley. As the story unfolded, I felt sympathy over the "senseless" death of her son, shock at the magnitude of her hostility towards Doris, respect for her resolve in carrying-out her "plan", and admiration for her final attempts at reconciliation with her son Marvin.

We live in denial of our own mortality. And like many other works of fiction that embrace the theme of carpe diem, The Stone Angel is a good reminder that no one has forever and that love is very democratic.

How much of it you receive is directly proportional to how much you give.