Game masters and Amazonian Indigenous views on sustainability

Fernández‐Llamazares, Álvaro; Virtanen, Pirjo Kristiina

doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2020.01.004

Cited by 25 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…For instance, among the Yorta Yorta Nation, Boonwurrung and Bangerang tribes of Victoria (Australia), “caring for country” and management of traditional lands is considered a key determinant of community well-being [ 30 ]. Similarly, among numerous Amazonian Indigenous peoples, the concepts of “the good life” or “living well” emphasize the importance of maintaining harmonious interpersonal relationships, some of which extend to nonhumans and spirits [ 31 – 33 ]. Furthermore, some evidence indicates that changes in social relations or in relations with their local environments might erode substantially the subjective well-being of Indigenous peoples [ 23 , 27 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Happy just because. A cross-cultural study on subjective wellbeing in three Indigenous societies

et al. 2021

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While cross-cultural research on subjective well-being and its multiple drivers is growing, the study of happiness among Indigenous peoples continues to be under-represented in the literature. In this work, we measure life satisfaction through open-ended questionnaires to explore levels and drivers of subjective well-being among 474 adults in three Indigenous societies across the tropics: the Tsimane’ in Bolivian lowland Amazonia, the Baka in southeastern Cameroon, and the Punan in Indonesian Borneo. We found that life satisfaction levels in the three studied societies are slightly above neutral, suggesting that most people in the sample consider themselves as moderately happy. We also found that respondents provided explanations mostly when their satisfaction with life was negative, as if moderate happiness was the normal state and explanations were only needed when reporting a different life satisfaction level due to some exceptionally good or bad occurrence. Finally, we also found that issues related to health and–to a lesser extent–social life were the more prominent explanations for life satisfaction. Our research not only highlights the importance to understand, appreciate and respect Indigenous peoples’ own perspectives and insights on subjective well-being, but also suggests that the greatest gains in subjective well-being might be achieved by alleviating the factors that tend to make people unhappy.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Happy just because. A cross-cultural study on subjective wellbeing in three Indigenous societies

et al. 2021

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“…The cave environment might create a sensation where past, present, and future come together but where time stands still (Prijatelj and Skeates 2019). Ethnographic studies have found that many indigenous societies incorporate ASCs into their fundamental belief systems (Eliade 1964;Winkelman 2011). ASCs seem to be a basic part of human psychobiology (Bourguignon 1973;De Rios and Winkelman 1989;Winkelman 2011), and they might be as universal as singing, dancing, and tattooing (Eliade 1964, p. 5;Krutak 2019;Mehr et al 2019;Vergara 2019).…”

Section: Altered States Of Consciousness and Cavesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Shamanism is a cross-cultural phenomenon common in indigenous groups, in past and present (Peoples, Duda, and Marlowe 2016;Singh 2018). The shaman interacts with the other world for healing, protecting, and hunting purposes, among other reasons, mostly via an ASC (Eliade 1964;Winkelman 2011), which the shaman prepares to enter by fasting, sleep deprivation, music, dancing, and/or ingestion of psychoactive plants. These actions increase activity in the frontal cortex (Winkelman 2010a), which is thought to play an important role in creativity (Arne 2015;Beaty et al 2016;Fink et al 2006;Finke, Ward, and Smith 1992;Razumnikova 2009;Schneider and Strüder 2009).…”

Section: Altered States Of Consciousness and Cavesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is absolutely not a kind of sympathetic magic, but a necessary act in the framework of the reciprocal understanding of human relationships and responsibilities towards the different counterparts humans are dependent upon. This concept of the 'Master of Animals' is shared by many indigenous groups world-wide, and it might be conceived as a primordial universal characteristic of indigenous hunting societies (Beach and Stammler 2006;Duerr 2010;Fernández-Llamazares and Virtanen 2020;Garfinkel et al 2009;Hitoshi 2013;Loring 1996;Low 2018;Paulson and Auer 1964;Reichel-Dolmatoff 1967).…”

Section: Upper Paleolithic Decorated Caves: Towards An Understandingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hypoxia in Paleolithic decorated caves: the use of artificial light in deep caves reduces oxygen concentration and induces altered states of consciousness

Kedar

Kedar²,

Barkai

2021

Time and Mind

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In this paper, we present a novel hypothesis as to what led humans in the Upper Paleolithic to penetrate and decorate deep, dark caves. Many of the depictions in these caves are located in halls or narrow passages deep in the interior, navigable only with artificial light. We simulated the effect of torches on oxygen concentrations in structures similar to Paleolithic decorated caves and showed that the oxygen quickly decreased to levels known to induce a state of hypoxia. Hypoxia increases the release of dopamine in the brain, resulting in hallucinations and out-of-body experiences. We discuss the significance of caves in indigenous world views and contend that entering these deep, dark environments was a conscious choice, motivated by an understanding of the transformative nature of an underground, oxygen-depleted space. The cave environment was conceived as both a liminal space and an ontological arena, allowing early humans to maintain their connectedness with the cosmos. It was not the decoration that rendered the caves significant; rather, the significance of the chosen caves was the reason for their decoration.

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“…Schwoerer et al [21] predicted the food-water-energy nexus of wild food systems through the prism of energy transitions in isolated indigenous communities of the Arctic and Subarctic regions. Fernández-Llamazares et al [22] presented a socio-cosmology connection to sustainability among the game masters of the indigenous people across the Amazon Basin. To further strengthen our argument, we have presented a list of case studies in Table 1.…”

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confidence: 99%

Sustainability, Sociocultural Challenges, and New Power of Capitalism for Renewable Energy Megaprojects in an Indigenous Mayan Community of Mexico

et al. 2020

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Sustainable development is an integrated blend of energetic, economic, social, environmental, and governmental actors, making it one of the most challenging and subjective aims of the United Nations. A sustainability project that does not consider any of these parameters can generate resistance among different actors of society. In this work, we have demonstrated that the traditional definition of sustainability encompassing economic development, environmental protection, and social justice does not adequately cover large-scale renewable energy projects. We have presented an illuminating case study of solar development in the Yucatan state of Mexico to show that the traditional three-legged stool of sustainable development fails to accommodate local power relations and their role in energy decision-making. This point is made through a substantive and illuminating ethnography of a solar project in the community of San José Tipceh, which involves the importance of energy democracy and understanding power relations in any assessment of sustainable development. These power relations are an important component of sustainable development, and all megaprojects, especially renewable energy projects, require special attention in the governance processes. Through an analysis of an example of implementation of a mega solar project, we argue that the methodology through which the power is exercised is an exercise of great importance because it leads us to a scientific discussion that structures an international reflection on sustainability. The case study consists of mixed methods, including several techniques to deepen the analysis of sociocultural aspects, and tries to present the limits and show the weakness of the sustainability perspective in such megaprojects. It is concluded that environmental justice as a basic element of the new era of renewable energies is limited and can generate social injustices. In the same way, this work shows how power is exercised in the implementation of energy projects and in the absence of equitable comprehensive governance that does not consider the local sociocultural contexts of the communities, resulting in the generation of new powers and permanent conflicts. At the end of this work, a framework to empower local sociocultural contexts for an equitable energy transition is recommended.

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Game masters and Amazonian Indigenous views on sustainability

Cited by 25 publications

References 39 publications

Happy just because. A cross-cultural study on subjective wellbeing in three Indigenous societies

Happy just because. A cross-cultural study on subjective wellbeing in three Indigenous societies

Hypoxia in Paleolithic decorated caves: the use of artificial light in deep caves reduces oxygen concentration and induces altered states of consciousness

Sustainability, Sociocultural Challenges, and New Power of Capitalism for Renewable Energy Megaprojects in an Indigenous Mayan Community of Mexico

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