In the latter half of this collaborative ethnography, Davi Kopenawa speaks sternly to the white peoples misunderstandings of self-actualization. Through his travels to European/American cities, the visiting of historical sites, museums, seeing the bustle of city living, and the over-consumption of merchandise, he comes to understand white peoples contempt of the forest through their adroit disconnect between them, their ancestors, and the xapiri. His time here is spent wondering how thoughtless this civilization seems of the meanings and intentions of their ancestors before them. In many instances throughout this piece we see the phrase “we are other people” as a cementment of self-objectification made by Davi. The gold prospectors and cattle ranchers encroachment on their land has banded most of what were left of rival communities in the Yanomami region to unite against this white plight. Davi speaks in this oppositional manner of disdainful pity toward white people and their disconnection from spirituality to discount the lies that they tell, which aggrandize themselves while propagandizing Indigenous knowledge as ignorant. An example of this is the comparison of writing systems, or lack thereof with the Yanomami, and our ‘cleverness’ of destroying environments for mass production of goods and limitless desires. Davi ensures to establish the correct hierarchy of wisdom by saying, “contrary to what they believe, we probably lack a lot less knowledge than they do. We have friendship for the forest because we know that the xapiri spirits are its true owners. The white people only know how to abuse and spoil it” (p. 398).
The circumstances that perpetuate this system of greed and destruction that we find ourselves within is quite sad, as Davi recounts. His contrasting jumps from one way society conducts itself to another does not take long to meddle with his health and connection with his xapiri. The form of resistance in this part is expressed through the xapiri’s capabilities to push back against the chest of the sky, and the evil spirits who wish to avenge their fallen executors. This self-actualization is reiterated in Davi after all of his travels, as he recognizes the importance of his position more now than ever before. “We are other people” is a quote the can be extended to the other authors of the books we have read; the other people who continue to make the xapiri dance, whether they actually see them through the yãkoana or not, and whose soul is satiated enough through this continuing endeavour alone, away from superfluous materials.
3 responses to “falling sky part two”
I think Kopenawa’s way of self-actualizing is so so interesting. It not only cements his position as someone in his community who has the shaman role and capabilities, but also differentiates him from the white people who have come in and taken the autonomy and ability to self-actualize from Indigenous peoples. Kinda badass.
I think that the “we are other people” motif is really well demonstrated by how Davi reacts physically, spiritually, and intellectually when he travels. It’s like a fundamental incompatibility of lifestyles that runs through this whole section.
You rightfully note how Kopenawa inverts the trope of the ‘poor Indian’ playin with the idea of a knowledge deficit within the white people. He talks in a mildly patronizing, but still somehow not pejorative, manner mentioning how we white people are unable to see the true world around us.