Ye'kwana Basketry: Its Cultural Context

Authors

Raymond B. Hames, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Ilene Hames, University of California, Santa Barbara

Date of this Version

1976

Citation

Hames, Raymond and Ilene Hames (1976) Anthropologica 44:: 3-58

Abstract

The aim of this article is to describe an aspect of Ye'kwana (Makiritare) technology, basketry, in its overall cultural context. We will not only describe basketry as technology per se but the role it plays in Ye'kwana symbolism, ecology, economy and social organization. Also, we will discuss its role in inter-village and inter-ethnic trade and how this role has implications for understanding socio-cultural change in the immediate area of the Padamo River Basin, Territorio Federal Amazonas, Venezuela.