Ayahuasca, also known as yage, hoasca, or caapi, is a plant medicine used for thousands of years by the indigenous people of the Amazon. From the Quechua language of the Incas, the word ayahuasca means “the vine of the dead” … Continue reading Anthropology: Ayahuasca, an Amazon Plant Medicine Believed to Confer Psycho-Spiritual Powers
The Melanesian Archipelago consists of four individual nations; Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. The term “Melanesia“ was first used by a French explorer, Jules Dumont d’Urville. The Wantok people are known for their mostly peaceful past, … Continue reading An Overview of the Traditions and History of the Wantok People
The Pitt Rivers Museum, founded in 1884, is one of the most famous museums of anthropology, ethnography, and archaeology in the world. Once described as a “cultural cornucopia”, its gallery presents a range from religious objects to weapons, textiles, divinity … Continue reading The Pitt Rivers Museum: Is Decolonization on the Way?
Societal Challenges for Argentina’s Indigenous People Every couple hundred people in Argentina comprise at least one indigenous person, whether they hail from the forests of Misiones, the lowlands of the Pampas, or the deserts of Patagonia. Putting cultural and geographical … Continue reading The Prolonged Struggle for Indigenous Groups in Argentina
History of South America’s Yaghan People The Yaghan of Tierra del Fuego defied many conventions of human society. They wore little to no clothing, possessed no personal property, and lit fires in their wooden canoes to signal others and stay … Continue reading The Fading Yaghan Culture of Tierra Del Fuego
The Origin and Custom of Yerba Maté Drinking maté goes far beyond sharing an herbal tea with friends and reaping the health benefits. In fact, ritual and ceremonial use of maté in South America dates back millennia. As well, the … Continue reading Anthropology: History and Culture of Yerba Maté in South America
Culture of the Quechua The Quechuan people do not simply descend from the Inca. Moreover, they originate from well before the Tahuantinsuyo, or Inca Empire, first gained power in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. And they have only continued to … Continue reading Anthropology: Modern Quechuan Culture and Its Ties to the Inca