Yanomamo

In Western culture killing is wrong and although deaths resulting from defense is sometimes accepted revenge killings are not. But for the Yanomamo revenge killings are acceptable and encouraged. A man and their family can be killed if certain crimes are committed including those that have to do with infidelity, appropriation of women, and other crimes having to do with disputes over women. Although, there are other crimes that result in revenge killings most do have to do with women. Revenge killings are common among their culture and the killings are done by the family’s themselves. Unlike, in the Western cultures any sort of acceptable killing is done by the government but never is it for a woman. Responses to killings are revenge raids. Once a family or community has someone that dies they are allowed to retaliate with their own raid against another family or community. This is done in steps that include shouting matches, chest pounding, slapping, clubbing, and fighting with axes, machetes and bows and arrows. When someone is killed then the raids start, and the other group retaliates, then the previous group can retaliate again. The faster the retaliation the better though because it shows strength of the group. Showing how strong they are instead of showing their weakness in the end can keep them safe because it can deter other groups from going after them and their families.

Unokais are those that have killed someone among the Yanomamo. They are considered to be the strong ones in a tribe because the have killed and lived through it. Aside from being known as the strong one of the group, a benefit for being known as an Unokais is that the reputation of one can keep him and his family safe. In fact, it is a good thing for a tribe to have one because the others will fear the tribes with Unokais.

On the other side os this is the non-Unokais. They are considered weak and cowards. Their reputation makes them easy targets because others know that non-Unokais will not retaliate if their women are taken from the. So although they might be safe from being pulled into a raid they also leave their own tribes vulnerable to those who think they are stronger.

The type of political system that exists among the Yanomamo is that of kinship. This is why revenge killings are frequent. Most tribes are all somehow related to the leader of the group because they tend to be the ones with the biggest family. So, hurt one then it means you’ve hurt them all. Retaliation in this way is almost inevitable because they are related to the leader.

The relationship between revenge killing and The social structure among the Yanomamo is one that considers the Unokais as the top tier. This is so because being a Unokais is highly favorable because of the attached reputation and so marriages are a plenty for them. Next, the relationship between revenge killings and kinship exist because the reason for revenge killings is because someone’s kin of another tribe was wronged and they feel it their need to retaliate. Of course, the killings can’t take place without enough people agreeing to it but because they are related they will have enough people for the raid.

Marriage and reproduction is also related to revenge killings. Women are taken during raids by those that participated, the Unokais. Unokais, on the other hand, are also able to appropriate them from other because maybe by their mere reputation or by strength. In any case, they have a better chance of marriage and reproduction than non-Unokais because of either their brute strength or because it is more favorable for women to join Unokais.

Laws are in place so that multiple unnecessary killings don’t take place. Laws protect those against revenge. Victims of any crime are not permetable by law to take revenge on others like what the Yanomamo did. Revenge only serves to perpetuate the cycle which is seen again by the Yanomamo. Instead, the Law is set up so that the government is the one to take action against those that commit crimes. It is therefore, the government’s place to punish them not individuals or family members of victims. Laws like these also serve to protect the wrong doers family. The entire family wouldn’t need to be punished but instead just the individuals who do a crime. If the Yanomamo had a system like this then revenge raids wouldn’t be as important to their survival as it is now.