What a great critique of the Western way of living. Kopenawa proceeds to spend the latter half of this book criticizing the modern day way of consuming and trying to make every product last forever, hoping to extend lifespans and human existence. This is a mindset that is grounded in wanting to hold power and privilege forever, the same way clout-chasing youtubers will use clickbait to keep getting their views. All this lifestyle wants is more to obsess over, in order to feed the need for modernization and industrialization. We want to become one with concrete skyscrapers: tall, indestructible, taking up space with our thousands of things forever.
Why do we aim for this when our life started with such natural existence? As Kopenawa explains, nothing in the forest lasts forever. There is a strange sense of peace intertwined with knowing our existences end, and that nothing can live infinitely except the metaphysical, like the xapiri. Hence, living as a Yanomami is to reject the white idea that items must possess immortality, and instead find the things that exist now to find harmony with them.
Something I found really interesting with the last portion of the book was how he chooses to differentiate the Yanomami, pushing inward, away from the white ideas towards what he knows as true. He explains that he tried to acclimate, to both the foods and the ways of living, but they only harmed him. It is as though he is of a completely different breed, and the white ways of living are offensive to his health. It is also a comment on how white people have managed to spread such epidemics of disease throughout Indigenous populations, including the ones that killed both of Kopenawa’s parents. This, to me, is a reflection of the idea that in wanting to last forever, white people decimate the populations that do not feel significant to them.
I really like how straight-up Kopenawa is. He refuses to sacrifice his experience and life for a subdued political view. He is not afraid to diss white people, and I do absolutely love the idea of Albert reading it and being like “hmm. so true”. As an ethnographer, I wonder where Albert draws his line of observing and holding opinions that agree or disagree with Kopenawa. Me personally? I’m not an ethnographer. So I don’t know. But as there are many many ethics involved in anthropology, I imagine ethnography is an even deeper iceberg. I suppose I have much to learn.
Your thoughts on rejecting modernity and looking to an indigenous approach to knowledge is interesting. Since its genesis, modernity has reinforced hierarchical relations that transcend state borders. Questions such as “what is modern?” or “what is innovative?” are notably linked to thinkers residing in the Global North. However, the western yard-stick of “success” has arguably caused the most pressing problem ever faced by humanity: climate change. With that, perhaps its time that we start looking to frameworks and schools of thought outside of the West’s tradition. The indigneous for centuries have been practicing sustainability before that was even a word. I agree with your overall thoughts on considering a new approach to operations of societies.