Violence in the Amazon

Eduzendium article

Since the early colonial expeditions to the Americas, the indigenous people of the Amazon Basin have had a reputation for high levels of violence and warfare. These reportedly high levels of violence are disputable as to whether or not they are actually higher than other civilizations in the world. The origins and root causes of these high levels of violence are also disputable. There are several theories, all with legitimate reason (some more than others) and these theories are continually debated upon and continue to be further investigated by ethnographers and anthropologists from around the world. Of all the theories out there pertaining to the causes of the violence in the Amazon Basin, the most well-founded and reliable theories are founded on the notion that warfare and violence are caused by practical and internal conditions and relationships. Of course there is great variation in these theories, as each one emphasizes a unique aspect of the demographical and ecological conditions of the Amazonian Basin.

The first to be discussed is the theory of basic human nature, originated by Raymond Dart in his article “The Predatory Transition From Ape to Man” in 1953 and then popularized by Robert Ardrey in his book “African Genesis” seventeen years later. This theory has taken on the name of “ The Killer Ape Theory,” as it asserts that humans, by nature, are violent primates and identifies the human being as “the killer ape.” According to this theory, the early ancestors of humans were distinguished from other primate species by their higher levels of aggressiveness and this aggressiveness resonates in the nature of the modern day human. While this theory may seem quite convincing, as it falls in with the natural process of evolution, it seriously lacks hard evidence to support the notion that murderous instincts remain deeply ingrained in man. Today, this theory is not considered reasonable and has never been widely accepted among the science world as an explanation to the innate violence of human kind, nor does it explain why one group of people would be more violent than another.

Another theory that has many similar aspects to the Killer Ape Theory is the theory that humans are violent due to the nature of their psyche. Michael Harner, an American Anthropologist famous for his transformation from an academic to a shaman, explains that the human memory stores feeling of resentment and pain caused by insults, losses and injuries. He attributes this ability to the high levels of violence in the Amazon, claiming that the indigenous tribes of the basin fight for revenge. As documented by several ethnographic case studies, this is true. Harner asserts that this is a valid theory to explain the high levels of violence in the Basin, however he fails to distinguish between the internal and external violence of the Jivaro people, applying his theory to violence in general. His theory well explains that internal feuds are driven by revenge, but external violence, such as raids and war, are understood to be driven by other and even stronger motivations. While this does serve as an explanation for some of the high levels of violence in the Amazon Basin, it is generally agreed upon that his theory lacks explanation as to why there are in fact there are higher levels of violence among some cultures rather than others.

Next is the theory that war is a primarily adaptive strategy associated with the harsh demographical and ecological conditions of the land in which the people of the Amazon inhabit. Marvin Harris, an American anthropologist who was the dominant force in the development of cultural materialism, contributed to this theory, emphasizing on ecological drive and the increased conflict levels that coincide with low blood sugar levels. This is the “Scarce Protein Theory.” Cultural Materialism asserts that the foundation of any socio-cultural system is the environment. Humans must draw energy from their environment, which is limited in terms of the amount of energy and raw materials it contains. The need to draw energy out of the environment in order to satisfy the biological needs of its people is the first and central task of any society. Existing within the constraints imposed by its environment, a society will go to no end in order to secure their resources. Therefore, the threat of disorder and violence comes primarily from the stresses that arise from environmental constraints. This theory includes women as a scarce resource and claims that a lot of the violence in the Amazon is rooted in the need to reproduce, which leads to fighting over women. This aspect of the “Scarce Protein Theory” is presented as a vicious cycle. Due to the lack scarce proteins, infanticide is used as a means of population management and due to the strong need of protection, male babies are highly favored over female babies (as is in many cultures around the world). So, naturally, female infanticide leads to a low number of women, which therefore leads to more stress pertaining to the competition over women.