HS 650 CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES IN ANTHROPOLOGY 2024

An Anthropological Perspective on sustainability in Indigenous Amazonian

economies

Course Supervisor: Professor Nishant Choksi

Himani Verma
M.A. Society & Culture
23520014

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 Abstract

This anthropological study aims to study the data drawn from the latest media report on the
World Economic Forum annual meeting between January 15 and 19 in Davos, Switzerland,
where Indigenous leaders across the Amazon region attended the World Economic Forum’s
annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Indigenous economic systems prioritize community
welfare and well-being over individual profit, emphasizing the importance of collective
decision-making and resource stewardship, and their economies are based on principles of
reciprocity and sustainability, ensuring the long-term viability of resources while reducing the
ecological footprint.
By applying anthropological research techniques such as observation from interviews,
ethnographic accounts, and historical analysis, this study examines the economic practices of
Indigenous leaders in the Amazon basin. This paper aims to explore the sustainability of
indigenous Amazonian economies through the lens of “Structuralism”, “Anthropology of the
State” and “Economic Anthropology” offering a multifaceted understanding of the complex
social, political and economic dynamics at play.
As the global demand for natural resources continues to threaten the rainforest’s ecological
balance, the economic strategies employed by Indigenous communities can offer important
lessons for sustainable development and conservation. By highlighting the lessons learned
from Indigenous leaders, this study analyzes the possible solutions to promote sustainability
through the lens of economics anthropology in shaping policies and practices that promote
the preservation of the Amazon rainforest and the well-being of its Indigenous inhabitants.

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 Methodology

The methodology includes the use of media reports as the main data source which aligns with
the qualitative nature of the research, as it allows for an in-depth exploration of the lived
experiences and perspectives of indigenous Amazonian communities. The research has
utilized a systematic search and review of media reports eg: news, articles, blogs and
documentaries that provide accounts and narratives of indigenous Amzonian communities
and their economic activities.

Map of Amazonia

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 Introduction

Indigenous people from across the Amazon attended the World Economic Forum’s Annual
Meeting held in Davos, Switzerland, between 15 and 19 January 2024. They shared their
perspectives on how to build an economy that works in harmony with nature, protects
biodiversity and the ecosystems it sustains and leverages indigenous knowledge that can help
the world achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
The Amazon rainforest, often referred to as the “lungs of the Earth”, is home to an array of
diverse indigenous communities whose traditional economies and lifeways have long played
a crucial role in the sustenance of its vital ecosystem. Indigenous Amazonian economies are
typically characterized by a deep reverence for the natural world, a reliance on renewable
resources and a holistic approach to resource management.
“Among Amerindians of the Amazon the notion of ‘nature’ is contiguous with that of
‘society’.” (Descola & Pálsson, 2010, p.185).
The belief systems of many indigenous Amazonian societies are deeply rooted in a deep
respect for the natural environment and a sense of interconnectedness with all living beings.
This spiritual and cosmological dimension of their economies has been shown to play a
crucial role in shaping their sustainable practices and decision-making processes. As the
global demand for natural resources continues to threaten the rainforest’s ecological balance,
the economic strategies employed by Indigenous communities can offer important lessons for
sustainable development and conservation.

Structuralism and the logic of Indigenous Amazonian Economies

The structuralist approach can be applied to the Indigenous Amazonian Economies in terms
of analyzing the underlying structures and patterns that shape the behaviour of the indigenous
amazonians and their social organization. At the recent World Economic forum Annual
meeting Chief Nixiwaka Yawanawá (Amazonian indigenous leader) said that “We are the
only people on this planet who still speak the language of water, the earth, the air, the stars,
the animals, the forest and all the creation of the planet. We not only protect nature; we are
nature itself.”
With respect to structuralist anthropology the indigenous cosmological worldview which sees
human beings as part of a broader community of beings such as plants, animals or spirits
shape the economic practices and their relationship with nature. The economy is not seen as a
separate domain but as deeply embedded in this wider cosmological system.
“Evolutionary and functionalist perspectives believed that there are basic needs and economic
benefits for the functioning of societies”. (Choksi, 2024, “Structuralism”, slide 6). Thus, a
parallel has been drawn between the basic needs of subsistence and economic needs that must
be met for the society to exist and function. This has been explained with the help of an
example of two anthropologists who studied a very different type of economy in the
Trobriand Islands. Molonoski and Moss studied the native people living in the Trobriand
Islands and observed how the indigenous people indulged in exchange of shell necklaces.

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This is a form of exchange which does not hold a monetary value in terms of helping them
meet their basic needs but it still comes under the category of “an economic exchange”.
This continuous cycle of giving and receiving gifts has been classified as the “kula ring”.
According to Mauss “The Kula, its essential form, is itself only one element, the most solemn
one, in a vast system of services rendered and reciprocated, which indeed seems to embrace
the whole of Trobriand economic and civil life”. (Mauss, 1990, p.27).
“In our opinion, at the bottom of this system of internal kula, the system of
gift-through-exchange permeates all the economic, tribal and moral life of the Trobriand
people” (Mauss, 1990, p.29).
Mauss has explained that this system involved reciprocity, generosity, and obligations,
reflecting the economic relationships within the society of the Trobriand people.
Malinowski and Mauss observed how it became a prominent “gift-economy”. Similarly
within the Amazonian indigenous tribes the ceremonial exchange networks of
“Amazon-stones” in northern South America apparently functions as institutions of regional
socio political integration, just as, for instance, the kula necklaces and bracelets of Melanesia,
the pearl shells of the New Guinea highlands and the Quiripa, strings of shell disks, of the
Venezuelan and Colombian Llanos. “The “green stones” were exchanged between tribal big
men, clan leaders and / or chiefs as means of death compensation, during marriage
transactions and peace making ceremonies, and as forms of non-commercial payment to
establish or maintain alliances between tribal segments or chiefdoms, just as other types of
“primitive valuables” in stateless societies elsewhere in the world” (Dalton, 1977; Sahlins
1972, 221).
The green stones from Amazon just like the seashells from Trobriand Islands and their
exchange conveyed meaning to these people. This implies that there is more to exchange than
monetary value. The exchange systems in Amazonian societies are not purely economic but
are deeply embedded in social, cultural and political relationships. They serve to strengthen
social ties, maintain community cohesion and ensure equitable distribution of resources
within and between groups.

The Anthropology of state and the challenge of sustainable development

The anthropology of state as a concept deals with the role of state in shaping political and
economic realities offering crucial insights into the challenges faced by indigenous
Amazonian communities in maintaining a sustainable economy. According to a media report
Fany Kuiru, the first woman appointed General Coordinator of the Coordinating Body of
Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) had said at World Economic forum
annual meeting that “Indigenous people are the best guardians of the Amazon and represent a
rich diversity of world outlooks, with own systems of government, traditional knowledge
systems and more than 300 spoken languages”.
The Amazonian people follow their own system of government which they deem to be fit for
their economy and society to function. The state's frequent interference in the Amazonian
economy, which undermines the autonomy and self-determination of indigenous people, has

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caused the ecosystem to deteriorate, communities to be displaced and traditional economic
and social structures to be disrupted.
“States manifest themselves in everyday life in terms of process of “spatialization”- how state
comes to feel like encompassing reality”. (Choksi, 2024, “Anthropology of State”, slide 2).
As Gupta and Ferguson explain the process of state spatialization through verticality and
encompassment. The state of Amazonia has experienced state spatialization through
verticality i.e. to assert dominance through policies, positioning itself as a superior authority,
exercising control and limiting the autonomy of the indigenous population. The state
spatialization process of Encompassment is applied when the state presents an effort to
integrate these indigenous communities by exploiting their natural resources through resource
extraction initiatives, land demarcation or assimilation policies.
“state claims of encompassment are met and countered by globally networked and globally
imaged organizations and movements- manifestations of “the local that may claim (in their
capacity as ecological “guardians of the planet”, indigenous protectors of “the lungs of the
Earth”, or participants in a universal struggle for human rights) a wider rather than narrower
spatial and moral purview than that of the merely national state.” (Ferguson & Gupta, 2002,
p.995). The following excerpt explains that the nation-state attempts to assert its authority
and control over a territory and its population which are met with resistance from the
transnational or global civil society groups eg: NGOs that challenge the nation state’s
exclusive claims to power and representation. The local communities or the indigenous
groups such as the Indigenous people of the Amazon who assert a global or universal
perspective, framing themselves as “guardians of the planet”, “indigenous protectors of the
lungs of the Earth” claim a broader or more expansive sphere of concern and moral authority
than the nation-state, which is characterized as “merely national” in scope.
As discussed by Ferguson and Gupta Neoliberal governmentality can manifest in policies that
prioritize resource extraction and economic development over indigenous rights and
environmental conservation . “As originally formulated by Foucault(1991), “governmentality
as a form of power exercised over populations assumes the frame of the nation-state.
Extending this concept to account for neoliberal globalization forces us to reformulate the
spatial and scalar assumptions of governmentality. (Ferguson & Gupta, 2002, p.996).
Thus, the Indigenous Amazonian peoples may experience the impacts of neoliberal economic
practices that prioritize profit over social and environmental well-being.

Economic Anthropology and the Resilience of Indigenous Economies

At the World Economic Forum annual meeting, Uyunkar Domingo Peas, President of the
Board of Directors, Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance, reminded guests that the battle
over protecting the Amazon forest is deeply ontological for Indigenous people, going beyond
the issue of economic worth. In response to the question of “how to put a price on nature,” he
stated that for Indigenous peoples, the forest is “priceless” and gave an insight into the close
relationship that the Indigenous cosmology has with the forest, which it views as a living
entity that sustains all existence.

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“While big companies talk about value, for us, that whole ecosystem, which is a living thing,
is priceless” said by Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai, President of the Board of Directors
at the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance (Cuencas Sagradas Amanicas).
At Davos, Uyunkar Domingo Peas pleaded for the world's elite to embrace the profitable
methods of sustainable harvesting. Reminding us that all monocultures are detrimental for the
environment, he emphasized the importance of product variety in his culture's ancestry and
how that's one of the main reasons the forest is still thriving.
When we study this from an anthropological lens we find out that the concept of “value” and
its conceptualization for the Amazonians is quite different from that of the predictive
discipline of Economics.
“Mauss formalized this in his study of the Gift, showing how much of “primitive exchange”
worked on different principles than “market exchange”.(Choksi, 2024,
“Economicanthropresentation”, slide 6). In capitalist economies, more distant, calculated
interactions centered on the exchange value of the items are typically associated with the
concept of “market exchange”. Gift-giving in traditional civilizations, according to Mauss,
functions based on quite different social logics and principles than the supply-and-demand
dynamics of market transactions.
The paper “Beyond The Original Affluent Society: A Culturalist Reformulation” emphasizes
the importance of understanding the cultural values and practices of hunter-gatherer societies
in shaping their economic activities and relationship with the environment. By recognizing
the cultural significance of nature and the interconnectedness between humans and the
environment, the hunter-gatherers are observed to be following the “Zen way” to affluence.
“A pristine affluence colours their economic arrangements, a trust in the abundance of
nature’s resources rather than despair at the inadequacy of human means”. (Sahlins, 1972,
p.29). The hunter-gatherers believe that their economic systems, practices and structures are
shaped by this pristine affluence which suggests abundance of nature that is pure.
The paper talks about “cosmic economy of sharing” which is very much ingrained in the
societal structure of the hunter-gatherers.
The cosmic economy of sharing can be explained in three ways:
➢ Foraging to reconnect with their natural agency is an example of human-to-human
sharing.
➢ Social situations and activities include sharing, hunting, and gathering.
➢ Sharing amongst people: gathering random objects they come across while traveling.
➢ Replicating demand sharing in the human world, complimenting natural agencies for
their kindness and generosity, and frequently complaining about hunger and other
unfulfilled wants.
“The primary metaphor of ‘sharing’ is thus a concept with which we can make sense of the
hunter-gatherers; economic arrangements (Gudeman,1986) “and moreover a metaphorical
concept by which they make sense of their environment, one that guides their action within
it” (Bird‐David et al., 1992, p.31).
Traditional conservation techniques that have been carried on through the centuries are
frequently used by indigenous tribes in the Amazon.

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“The Indigenous economy across the Brazilian Amazon is defined by concepts of justice and
sharing, acknowledging the various social roles played by community members, and the
interconnectedness of local territories and biodiversity.” (Magnani, 2023)
A major area of study for economic anthropologists, the article emphasizes the complex
interaction between culture and economy through talks on the idea of sharing, the
significance of ritualized investments in the environment, and the effects of cultural beliefs
on economic activities.
“When remaining hunter-gatherer societies are either incorporated into the world economy or
are under threat from a range of powerful industrial interests.” (Bird‐David et al., 1992,
p.36).
Similar dangers to indigenous populations in the Amazon come from mining, deforestation,
and other forms of development that invade their land and destabilize their customs.
Acknowledging the difficulties brought about by outside forces and the necessity of
safeguarding their surroundings from unsustainable activities is consistent with the
conservation endeavors of Indigenous Amazonian communities, who fight to prevent external
exploitation of their territories, natural resources, and cultural legacy.
“Thus value is the ability to realize the human potential for creative action, how social
relations can be created or imagined anew, only when those capacities are taken away or
reduced does ‘value’ diminish. (Choksi, 2024, “EconomicanthroPresentation”, slide18).
The implication of this statement is that our ability to shape and transform social dynamics is
tied to our creative potential. This statement also seems to highlight the centrality of human
creativity and capacity for social formation as the core of what gives human beings their
inherent worth and value which is still very much highly regarded by the Amazonian
indigenous people.

Conclusion

Thus, the current anthropological study into sustainability in indigenous Amazonian

economies demonstrates how the Indigenous Amazoniain communities follow the highly
developed, ecologically-aware economic systems that put the common good ahead of profit
and place a premium on sustainability. These systems are at the core of the arguments
advanced by Amazonian leaders at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. In
sharp contrast to conventional economic theory, the Amazonian cosmovision views humans
as being intertwined with their natural environment. The sustainability philosophy that
permeates indigenous Amazonian lifeways is explained in part by this structural difference.
Crucially, these native economic systems are severely threatened by the intrusion of
governmental authority and capitalist expansion into the Amazon.
The anthropology of the state demonstrates how nation-state policies have consistently
weakened the autonomy and resource rights of Amazonian tribes, frequently under the
influence of restrained commercial interests. This illustrates the conflict between native
peoples’ right to self-determination and the contemporary nation-state's tendency toward
centralization. This study's conclusion emphasizes the important lessons that indigenous
Amazonian economic and sustainability practices may teach us. Anthropological insights into

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alternative economic models provide crucial routes toward a more sustainable and
harmonious future as the world struggles with the socio-ecological issues that plague us every
day. Any really transformational vision of environmental and economic justice must center
on the respect for indigenous sovereignty and ways of life. Hence, at the World Economic
forum annual meeting, the Indigenous communities joined global and regional discussions
around nature and climate at Davos 2024. Their message was clear; Humanity needs to return
to its core spirituality, remember that the forests are alive, and integrate global prosperity with
a humanized approach to nature.

References

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