What lessons or beliefs have you learned from the Yanomami that can benefit us in the West?
RG: The Yanomami are not afraid to show their emotions. Crying and wailing for a lost loved one often goes on for days. The women in mourning will mix tears and ashes and paint their cheeks. Their faces may be darkened for over a year.The Yanomami are not wasteful. They reuse and recycle everything possible. They are self-sufficient: they grow their own tobacco, cotton (equivalent), make hammocks from vines, bows from palm trees, arrows from reeds, andmake baskets from grass and reeds. Part of their value system is sharing with others. Being selfish or stingy is a major “sin” in their culture. Another interesting Darwinism worthy of note: in each village there is a group of what are called walidii. They are the physically and or mentally handicapped people that are not capable of contributing to the group. They are kept together and apart from the rest of the group. It is almost like they are the first ones to be sacrificed to the jaguar or anaconda. Being a wanidee has a stigma that c
