In the past, modern society held an ethnocentric point of view when looking at indigenous peoples. Modern society saw indigenous peoples as inferior and as someone to convert and save. Recently, cultural anthropologists started viewing indigenous cultures through objective lenses and started appreciating their way of life instead of seeking to change it.
Although there are no remaining indigenous groups that have not interacted with modern society today, the Fore people of Papua New Guinea remained isolated from the outside world until the 1930s when gold miners accidentally came across their territory. Even then, minimal interaction occurred; it was not until the 1950s that scientists revisited the group because an unexplainable disease emerged …show more content…
They believe the land itself created their world and gods and call it by the name of Bagina. Bagina first created the landscape and later created the spirits that protect the tribe; the spirits go by the name of Amani. The Fore people emerged afterwards and increased in size until they no longer needed the constant protection of the spiritual guardians, and the spirits retreated to spaces across the land with landmarks such as mountains or rivers. Because of their presence, these spaces became sacred and offered a path to their afterlife called Kwelandamundi (Whitfield). This cosmogony is most similar to that of the Australian Aboriginals and the theme of transformation. They believed that in the beginning the earth was barren of any landforms, animals, or humans, and entities called Dreamings began to transform the earth and make it what it is today. These cosmologies relate by the dependence of the present on the past (citation). The Fore incorporate their origins through their rituals and ceremonies just like every other religious group. Their mortuary rites exemplify ritual practice as a way to relate back to the creation of the …show more content…
Not only was this the first type of disease similar to that of scrapie in humans, but it uncovered a new disease causing agent. No virus, bacteria, protozoa, worm, or fungi caused this disease. So, what could cause such a fatal disease? Something entirely new. By researching an indigenous group, the discovery of prions was made. Prions only consist of protein fragments that cause holes in brain tissue or spongiform encephalopathy. The scientists who made this discovery ended up winning a Nobel peace prize (Harris). So, what happened to the Fore people and their culture? Most stopped the practice of endocannibalism, but some continued to perform the ritual. This demonstrates how deeply the Fore believed in their rituals and ceremonies and how important it was to make sure the deceased entered the afterlife and became ancestors. Those who came into contact with Kuru and survived possessed the gene V127, a genetic mutation resistant to Kuru (Rettner). Esposito speaks about how humans evolve through religion, “We can say that religion has always been an integral, at times even essential part of humanity’s evolutionary path” (Esposito 45). Because of the Fore’s dedication to their religious traditions, they evolved to overcome a fatal disease that had the potential to erase their
Although there are no remaining indigenous groups that have not interacted with modern society today, the Fore people of Papua New Guinea remained isolated from the outside world until the 1930s when gold miners accidentally came across their territory. Even then, minimal interaction occurred; it was not until the 1950s that scientists revisited the group because an unexplainable disease emerged …show more content…
They believe the land itself created their world and gods and call it by the name of Bagina. Bagina first created the landscape and later created the spirits that protect the tribe; the spirits go by the name of Amani. The Fore people emerged afterwards and increased in size until they no longer needed the constant protection of the spiritual guardians, and the spirits retreated to spaces across the land with landmarks such as mountains or rivers. Because of their presence, these spaces became sacred and offered a path to their afterlife called Kwelandamundi (Whitfield). This cosmogony is most similar to that of the Australian Aboriginals and the theme of transformation. They believed that in the beginning the earth was barren of any landforms, animals, or humans, and entities called Dreamings began to transform the earth and make it what it is today. These cosmologies relate by the dependence of the present on the past (citation). The Fore incorporate their origins through their rituals and ceremonies just like every other religious group. Their mortuary rites exemplify ritual practice as a way to relate back to the creation of the …show more content…
Not only was this the first type of disease similar to that of scrapie in humans, but it uncovered a new disease causing agent. No virus, bacteria, protozoa, worm, or fungi caused this disease. So, what could cause such a fatal disease? Something entirely new. By researching an indigenous group, the discovery of prions was made. Prions only consist of protein fragments that cause holes in brain tissue or spongiform encephalopathy. The scientists who made this discovery ended up winning a Nobel peace prize (Harris). So, what happened to the Fore people and their culture? Most stopped the practice of endocannibalism, but some continued to perform the ritual. This demonstrates how deeply the Fore believed in their rituals and ceremonies and how important it was to make sure the deceased entered the afterlife and became ancestors. Those who came into contact with Kuru and survived possessed the gene V127, a genetic mutation resistant to Kuru (Rettner). Esposito speaks about how humans evolve through religion, “We can say that religion has always been an integral, at times even essential part of humanity’s evolutionary path” (Esposito 45). Because of the Fore’s dedication to their religious traditions, they evolved to overcome a fatal disease that had the potential to erase their