A Man Called Bee Rhetorical Analysis

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For Reflection One, I chose to review “A Man Called Bee”. This documentary follows anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon living amongst the Yanomamo Indians of the Venezuelan and Brazilian rainforests. For thirty six months, Chagnon amassed information that delved into the growth and fissioning of the tribal villages. One major theme from the video I found fascinating was how easy it was for a tribe to separate. Since conflicts were highly prevelent, the Yanomamo fissioned into over 150 villages. If a conflict arose, the natives would duel, pound their chests, and fight using clubs and spears. What surpised me was that instead of solving a conflict peacefully, the Yanomamo always resorted to increasing levels of violence. What also surprised me was that the Yanomamo would usually resort to violence when dealing with internal conflcits and use peaceful methods when soothing external tensions. When faced with a neighboring warring village, a tribe would sometimes attempt to make an alliance and visit and trade with that other tribe in order to neogitate a peaceful truce and level of trust rather than usher in a war. These alliances assured that the tribes would not attack one another and that …show more content…

One course term that was highly visible was etic anthropological perspective. This was displayed via Dede Heiwa’s medical pratices in hopes of curing Chaldron’s illness. When Chaldron was sick, chief Heiwa tried to cure him by throwing dirt on him, chanting healing sayings, and attempting to expel the sickness from his body. These were all seemingly effective healing method in the chief’s eyes. However, to Chaldron, the chief’s attempt was useless. This example also made me think of how one views the differences between eastern and western medical and healing pratices. What may seem foreign and illigoical to someone looking in may seem perfectly effective and normal to someone who is apart of that

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