 | Pacaa Nova: Clash of Cultures on the Brazilian Frontier Subjects: Pacaa Nova Indians -- Social Life and Customs; Pacaa Nova Indians -- Cultural Assimilation; Indians of South America -- Brazil -- Social Life and Customs; Indians of South America -- Brazil -- Cultural Assimilation; Acculturation -- Brazil -- Case Studies; 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. Von Graeve Bernard : 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. |
