
Predatory Economies
The Sanema and the Socialist State in Contemporary Amazonia
- 248 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
2024 Honorable Mention, Fernando Coronil Prize, Latin American Studies Association, Section on Venezuelan Studies
A study of the modes of predation used by and against the Sanema people of Venezuela.
Predation is central to the cosmology and lifeways of the Sanema-speaking Indigenous people of Venezuelan Amazonia, but it also marks their experience of modernity under the socialist "Bolivarian" regime and its immense oil wealth. Yet predation is not simply violence and plunder. For Sanema people, it means a great deal more: enticement, seduction, persuasion. It suggests an imminent threat but also opportunity and even sanctuary.
Amy Penfield spent two and a half years in the field, living with and learning from Sanema communities. She discovered that while predation is what we think it is—invading enemies, incursions by gold miners, and unscrupulous state interventions—Sanema are not merely prey. Predation, or appropriation without reciprocity, is essential to their own activities. They use predatory techniques of trickery in hunting and shamanism activities, while at the same time, they employ tactics of manipulation to obtain resources from neighbors and from the state. A richly detailed ethnography, Predatory Economies looks beyond well-worn tropes of activism and resistance to tell a new story of agency from an Indigenous perspective.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Series Page
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Key Characters
- Introduction. Locating Predators and Prey
- Chapter 1. Predation, Then and Now
- Chapter 2. Extracting Good Things
- Chapter 3. Horizons of the Unknown
- Chapter 4. Subterranean Forces
- Chapter 5. Invoking the State
- Chapter 6. Forest Papers
- Epilogue. Predatory Economies in Amazonia and Beyond
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- References
- Index