The next section of “The Falling Sky” begins with a call to action, as Davi is asked to represent the Yanomami against the Brazilian government’s plan to begin excavating in the forest for gold. Mining in Latin America dates back, in some areas, to roughly 15000 BCE, but since the arrival of Columbus and Cortés, mineral resources have been co-opted by colonial powers and transnational corporations. Extractive industries, such as mining, seem to perfectly parallel the reality of settler-colonialism as experienced by humans. Forests, such as the one Davi calls home, are razed, and the land is turned hollow just so someone, somewhere, can make a product or a profit or both. This is perfectly brought together with Davi’s trip to the museum in Paris in a moment that perfectly exemplifies how extractive colonial practices work to commodify the cultures they are responsible for destroying.
I don’t know the figures for Brazil, but, in another class, I am researching colonial mining in Mexico. According to a (rather fascinating) paper by Studnicki-Gizbert and Schecter, roughly of forested area was cleared for silver mining in Mexico between 1558-1804. This area is roughly the size of Zimbabwe. These industries are truly a death sentence for any living being calling the forest home- not to mention the severe side effects that can come from living in proximity to a mine or refinery- mercury poisoning and silicosis are not hard to come by especially if the water becomes contaminated (which, it frequently does).
All of this to say that a gold mining operation is truly, deeply dangerous for Davi and the Yanomami. Apologies for the detour, now let’s get back on track. Davi agrees to speak up, of course, and from this point onwards has “never stopped talking to white people.” (pg. 311) Davi travels through Brazil, then to England and Paris to try to appeal the gold mine. During his travels, Davi also discusses how the food he ate while in Europe left him in a “ghost state,” (pg. 323) which I think speaks to how much physical difference is enduring in this experience. The experience, as he describes, manifests in physical and spiritual aches.
One part that stuck out to me was when Davi describes the spirits across Europe as not having been gone, just that no one can see them as they have lost their connection to them. I think that we (big we as in “””society,””” not necessarily small we as in our class, idk) feel this too at times, though not as acutely or as deeply as Davi describes. I do think that there can be a sense that (big) we gave something up to live in cities and have certain conveniences and access to a selection of products that no one could ever possibly own or try in one lifetime. (Don’t get me wrong, I am very attached to stuff, I just also think maybe we are doing too much all the time) This idea is also echoed in Chapter 19 when Davi talks about how some of his fellow Yanomami become enamoured with tools and good that the white people brought with them, as he continually says that merchandise, unlike people, lives a long time. (pg. 328-330)
You raise interesting points with regards to how mining operations have deeply affected the natural environment. Kopenawa of course does an excellent job of raising his critiques on all these systems that have ultimately brought harm to mother earth. Many of the colonizing forces were extractive in their operations if not extractive eventually very material based in their ways of living. This of course has disrupted the natural order of earth, hence the title of the book, the falling sky. However, as you mention, Kopenawa does not paint white people necessarily as villains. Instead, he more so describes them as lost people who have lost connection with xapiri that roam in Europe. He mentions how Europe have “xapiri who live on their land are the images of their ancestors who died long ago” (322). I appreciate this framing because often times we never think of how the indigenous’ relations with supernatural coexists with societies outside of where that group resides. It is refreshing to hear how the Yanomami contextualise regions such as Europe into their narratives and beliefs rather than the other way round. We see this as many European settlers often painted those outside of their belief systems as savages or heathens. However, with Kopenawa’s words, we see how instead the West is just painted as out of touch with the supernatural.
I may not be one well versed in mines but I do know of the toxic pit lakes that come from unproperly managed mines that contaminate the waters (translation: I watched one tom scott video lol). But it goes to show the way that capitalism prioritizes only money and causes the people to take short cuts like that so that they can make a few extra dollars. And the process of trying to fix this is likely much more costly now.