Hidden within the dense canopies of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest resides the Zo’é tribe, a community that challenges conventional societal norms. First sustained contact with outsiders occurred in 1987, revealing a society that thrives without formal leadership and embraces complex marital structures.

Society without hierarchy

In Zo’é culture, equality is paramount. The tribe operates without designated leaders; decisions are made collectively, ensuring that every voice holds weight. While articulate individuals, known as ‘yü,’ may influence discussions on matters like marriage or community relocation, they do not possess authoritative power over others. This absence of hierarchy fosters a harmonious environment where cooperation prevails.

Co-existence of polygamy and polyandry

The Zo’é’s approach to marriage is notably distinct. Both men and women have the freedom to engage in multiple marital relationships, practicing polygamy and polyandry without societal judgment. It’s common for a woman with several daughters to marry multiple men, some of whom may later wed one of her daughters. This intricate web of relationships is accepted and integrated into their social fabric.

Daily life

The Zo’é are semi-nomadic, residing in large, open-sided thatched houses that accommodate multiple families. They are adept hunters and gatherers, with men excelling in hunting game like monkeys and peccaries, while women participate in gathering and raising captured animals as pets. Agriculture also plays a role, with gardens producing manioc, tubers, peppers, and bananas.

Challenges and preservation

Despite their isolation, the Zo’é have faced challenges due to external contact, including exposure to diseases and cultural disruptions.

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The Zo’é tribe exemplifies a societal structure where equality and complex marital arrangements coexist harmoniously. Their unique way of life challenges conventional notions of leadership and marriage.

PNN

Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has blamed Hollywood’s Oscar-winning superstar Leonardo DiCaprio for the devastating forest fires in the Amazon. DiCaprio has been accused of funding non-profit groups, which Bolsonaro feels were responsible for fires in the Amazon rainforest, reports mirror.co.uk.

The President, however, did not back his claim with any evidence.

“DiCaprio is a cool guy, isn’t he? Giving money to set the Amazon on fire,” President Bolsonaro said, while speaking to supporters in Brasilia. He made a similar claim in a Facebook live broadcast.

“Leonardo DiCaprio, dammit, you’re collaborating with the burning of the Amazon,” Bolsonaro accused, claiming that the actor is part of an international campaign against Brazil.

DiCaprio’s environmental organisation Earth Alliance has pledged $5 million to help protect the Amazon after a surge in fires destroyed large parts of the rainforest in July and August.

The actor-environmentalist said in a statement his group had not funded any of the two nonprofits named by the investigators so far.

“While worthy of support, we did not fund the organisations targeted,” the statement read.

Washington: With fires in the Amazon rainforest filling the Brazilian sky with smoke, the number of fires in the region this year may have set a new record.

“Although it is not unusual to see fires in Brazil at this time of year due to high temperatures and low humidity it seems this year the number of fires may be record setting,” NASA said Wednesday.

According to Brazil’s space research centre INPE almost 73,000 fires have been recorded so far this year.

INPE is seeing an 83 per cent increase over the same period in 2018.

According to a report in the National Public Radio (NPR), Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has shown little concern for the situation.

Bolsonaro, who took office in January, has repeatedly lambasted Brazil’s environmental regulations as an impediment to economic development, and under his tenure environmental agencies have seen diminished staff and funding, said the report.

IANS