Pacaa Nova: Clash of Cultures on the Brazilian Frontier - Softcover

Von Graeve, Bernard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0921149360 ISBN 13: 9780921149361

Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 1991

Synopsis

The Pacaa Nova were originally a tribe of hunters, gatherers and simple horticulturalists in the upper Amazon. As the frontier of Brazilian 'civilization' has expanded, their extraordinary culture has been trampled on and transformed. Of particular importance in this case has been the intrusion of the rubber industry into the Amazon headwaters; important as well have been the influences of the Catholic Church and the government. It is a tragic story, but an entirely fascinating one, and von Graeve presents it in enormously readable fashion, with first-hand descriptions that bring the people to life for the student.

About this title

About the Author:

In 1969 and 1970, Bernard von Graeve spent time living in the rain forest near the border between Bolivia and Brazil. The anthropological field work he conducted at the missions allowed him to observe the Pacaa Nova, an Indian group that had established contact with outsiders only a few years before.

Review:

The best case study I have seen on the relationship between an indigenous group and the nation state.

(Douglas D. Anderson, Brown University)

The preservation of the peoples and cultures of the Amazon is as important as the saving of the rain forest; this book helps explain why...[it is] an invaluable contribution to the world in which we live.

(Clive Kileff, University of Tennessee)

One of the best books available on Indian/'white' relations in Brazil...engagingly written for students.

(Paul Aspelin, Cleveland State University)

The focus on acculturation is good; this book fills an important need.

(Edward M. Schortman, Kenyon College)

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0921149360
• ISBN 13: 9780921149361
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 168