Yanomamo: The Fierce People

In Part 2, Chagnon describes life in Upper Bisaasi-teri. The landscape is a low, flat plain covered in dense jungle, with trails leading from the village into the surrounding wilderness. These trails, recognizable only to the experienced eye, are marked by broken twigs and worn logs. Most of the Yanomami tools and techniques are basic yet effective. Their bows are made from palm wood, and arrow points are coated with curare poison for hunting. Their ability to produce necessary items independently reflects the self-sufficiency of each village. The Yanomami also utilize hallucinogenic drugs sourced from jungle plants.

Chagnon shifts the focus to the physical structure of the Yanomami villages and their methods of constructing shelters. He details their ways of making troughs, canoes, and shelters, such as the shabono. Despite its sophistication, the shabono has a short lifespan due to issues like leaks and infestations in the roof, leading to its periodic reconstruction. The shabono is comprised of individual dwellings arranged in a circle around an open plaza. The dwellings’ sizes depend on the number of people they shelter. When the village is located at a higher elevation, palm fronds or banana leaves keep the smoke and heat inside the houses.