Ethnicity and Culture Amidst New "Neighbors": The Runa of Ecuador's Amazon Region (Part of the Cultural Survival Studies in Ethnicity and Change Series) [Paperback]

Theodore Macdonald (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 11, 1998 | ISBN-10: 020519821X | ISBN-13: 978-0205198214 | Edition: 1

This book provides the reader with a story that has been many years in the making. It is the story of the Runa, a Quichua-speaking Indian population in Ecuador's Amazon region. It offers a window onto another culture, an illustration of the relationship between ethnicity and culture, and a story of the mobilization of an indigenous group. And when the reader arrives at the book's end, he or she will understand why the story is not merely shelved and finished, but is rather an ongoing tale that will continue for years to come. The author has been following the Runa's adaptation to continuous changes around and amongst them since 1974. When he first met the Runa, they were practicing swidden horticulture, hunting, fishing, and living their created culture while also reacting to external pressures imposed on them by newly arrived colonists and changing national legislation. This book follows the Runa from a passive accommodating society to an active organized group. The Runa thus became one of the early standard bearers in what is now a hemispheric social movement -- indigenous ethnic federations. These organizations have changed Latin America by successfully thrusting indigenous identities and concerns into the middle of national political arenas that previously marginalized and stigmatized them. Anthropologists or anyone interested in other cultures. Part of the New Immigrant's Series.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This book provides the reader with a story that has been many years in the making. It is the story of the Runa, a Quichua-speaking Indian population in Ecuador's Amazon region. It offers a window onto another culture, an illustration of the relationship between ethnicity and culture, and a story of the mobilization of an indigenous group. And when the reader arrives at the book's end, he or she will understand why the story is not merely shelved and finished, but is rather an ongoing tale that will continue for years to come. The author has been following the Runa's adaptation to continuous changes around and amongst them since 1974. When he first met the Runa, they were practicing swidden horticulture, hunting, fishing, and living their created culture while also reacting to external pressures imposed on them by newly arrived colonists and changing national legislation. This book follows the Runa from a passive accommodating society to an active organized group. The Runa thus became one of the early standard bearers in what is now a hemispheric social movement -- indigenous ethnic federations. These organizations have changed Latin America by successfully thrusting indigenous identities and concerns into the middle of national political arenas that previously marginalized and stigmatized them. Anthropologists or anyone interested in other cultures. Part of the New Immigrant's Series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; 1 edition (June 11, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 020519821X
• ISBN-13: 978-0205198214
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,150,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Ecuador

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.