Upriver: The Turbulent Life and Times of an Amazonian People

About this book

In this remarkable story of one mans encounter with an indigenous people of Peru Michael Brown guides his readers upriver into a contested zone of the Amazonian frontier where more than 50 000 Awajnrenowned for their pugnacity and fierce independenceremain determined against long odds to live life on their own terms. When Brown took up residence with the Awajn in 1976 he knew little about them other than their ancestors reputation as fearsome headhunters. The fledgling anthropologist was immediately impressed by his hosts vivacity and resourcefulness. But eventually his investigations led him into darker corners of a world where murderous vendettas fear of sorcery and a shocking incidence of suicide were still common. Perus Shining Path insurgency in the 1980s forced Brown to refocus his work elsewhere. Revisiting his field notes decades later now with an older mans understanding of lifes fragility Brown saw a different story: a tribal society trying and sometimes failing to maintain order in the face of an expanding capitalist frontier. Curious about how the Awajn were faring Brown returned to the site in 2012 where he found a people whose combative self-confidence had led them to the forefront of South Americas struggle for indigenous rights. Written with insight sensitivity and humor Upriver paints a vivid picture of a rapidly growing population that is refashioning its warrior tradition for the twenty-first century. Embracing literacy and digital technology the Awajn are using hard-won political savvy to defend their rainforest home and right of self-determination.