Shuar migrants and shrunken heads face to face in a New York museum

Rubenstein, Steven

doi:10.1111/j.0268-540x.2004.00268.x

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Shuar and other Amazonian indigenous peoples have also migrated to the USA, Spain, and Italy (Rubenstein, 2004; UNICEF, 2006). Censal and survey data have barely captured this mobility.…”

Section: Evidence By Countrymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Censal and survey data have barely captured this mobility. But recent fieldwork in Ecuador, New York, and Connecticut indicates that there are at least 250 Shuar living overseas, and possibly as many as 400 (see also Rubenstein, 2004). The number is relatively small (the total Shuar population is estimated in excess of 60,000), but those involved describe a growing overseas population.…”

Section: Evidence By Countrymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beyond Rainforests: Urbanisation and Emigration among Lowland Indigenous Societies in Latin America

McSweeney

Jokisch

2007

Bull Latin American Res

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Indigenous societies across lowland Latin America have recently made impressive political and territorial gains by emphasising their stewardship of and attachment to particular rural landscapes. But surprising new censal and microdemographic evidence shows that these groups have simultaneously been developing a presence in domestic and foreign metropolises. Cities offer employment and advanced education opportunities as well as escape from rural confl icts. We suggest that the dynamics and outcomes of these migrations are distinct from those of other rural Latin Americans. By outlining specifi c areas in which migration, politics, and territory appear to be interlinked, we seek to stimulate research that engages with these processes and their implications for indigenous advocacy and migration theory.

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“…Shuar and other Amazonian indigenous peoples have also migrated to the USA, Spain, and Italy (Rubenstein, 2004; UNICEF, 2006). Censal and survey data have barely captured this mobility.…”

Section: Evidence By Countrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Evidence By Countrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond Rainforests: Urbanisation and Emigration among Lowland Indigenous Societies in Latin America

McSweeney

Jokisch

2007

Bull Latin American Res

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“…Typically, male members of the Amazonian Shuar, Achuar, Awajún/Aguaruna, Wampís/Huambisa, and Candoshi-Shampra (collectively referred to as the SAAWC culture groups) manufactured tsantsas from the cranial integument (i.e., skin) of enemies slain during combat [1][2][3]. It was believed that tsantsas contained the spirit of the victim and all their technical knowledge and thus were considered to possess supernatural qualities and represent a source of personal power for the owner [4][5][6]. This power could be transferred to a host's household during ceremonies that involved a feast with many dozens of attendees.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The authentication and repatriation of a ceremonial tsantsa to its country of origin (Ecuador)

et al. 2021

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Tsantsas, commonly referred to as “shrunken heads”, are unique and valuable antiquities that were produced by the Shuar, Achuar, Awajún/Aguaruna, Wampís/Huambisa, and Candoshi-Shampra (SAAWC) peoples until the mid twentieth century. Originally used with ceremonial purpose during important social group functions, tsantsas became monetarily valuable as keepsakes and curios during the nineteenth century as a result of Western/European cultural encroachment. Unmet demand resulted in the production of convincing forgeries that created confusion about the authenticity of existing collections. Ceremonial tsantsas are both human remains and valuable cultural items. Their production and purpose were negatively influenced by colonialism and the outside curio market; as such many institutions may choose to repatriate them to their places of origin. Herein, we report on the authentication and repatriation of a ceremonial tsantsa recently rediscovered in a university’s natural history collection. The personal memoirs of the original collector describe that it originated in the Ecuadorean Amazon. In consultation with the government of Ecuador, it was determined that authentication was required prior to repatriation. The tsantsa was compared to a list of thirty-three distinct characteristics shared by ceremonial tsantsas. These criteria were taken from those provided by Ecuador’s National Cultural Heritage Institute and those found in prior studies from the academic literature; they include notable skin and hair features, structure and facial anatomy, and evidence of traditional fabrication and modification. We were able to affirm 30 of the 33 authenticating indicators. As part of our protocol the tsantsa was scanned with a CT-imaging system. The resulting 3D images were invaluable in discerning subtle and difficult-to-visualize characteristics regarding the skin and patterns of modification, although there are limitations related to the small size of filamentous structures. The results of the authentication were accepted by the Ecuadorean government, and the tsantsa was repatriated in June 2019. An additional benefit of CT-imaging is that data files can be generated in order to create rapid prototypes via 3D printing. In fact, as our work demonstrates, artifacts of value can be repatriated while simultaneously preserved as a volumetric replica for the purposes of a collection.

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“…Molecular genetics used in forensic medicine offer an advantage of authentication by DNA analysis, which is increasingly used by museums or private collectors [ 5 , 10 , 12 ]. The authenticity certificates are sometimes important because false or non-ceremonial heads do not have to be a subject of eventual repatriation requested upon museum curators or private owners [ 13 , 14 ]. The National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian was the first one to repatriate tsantsas to the Shuar Federation in 1999 [ 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The genetic evidence for human origin of Jivaroan shrunken heads in collections from the Polish museums

et al. 2016

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Advances in forensic identification using molecular genetics are helpful in resolving some historical mysteries. The aim of this study was to confirm the authenticity of shrunken-head artifacts exhibited by two Polish museums. Shrunken heads, known as tsantsas, were headhunting trophies of South American Indians (Jivaroan). A special preparation preserved their hair and facial appearance. However, it was quite common to offer counterfeit shrunken heads of sloths or monkeys to collectors of curiosities. We sampled small skin specimens of four shrunken-head skin from the museum collection from Warsaw and Krakow, Poland. Following genomic DNA isolation, highly polymorphic short tandem repeats were genotyped using a commercial chemistry and DNA sequencing analyzer. Haplogroups of human Y chromosome were identified. We obtained an informative genetic profile of genomic short tandem repeats from all the samples of shrunken heads. Moreover, amplification of amelogenin loci allowed for sex determination. All four studied shrunken heads were of human origin. In two ones, a shared Y-chromosome haplogroup Q characteristic for Indigenous Americans was detected. Another artifact was counterfeited because Y-chromosome haplogroup I2 was found, characteristic for the Southeastern European origin. Commercial genetic methods of identification can be applied successfully in studies on the origin and authenticity of some unusual collection items.

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Shuar migrants and shrunken heads face to face in a New York museum

Cited by 11 publications

References 8 publications

Beyond Rainforests: Urbanisation and Emigration among Lowland Indigenous Societies in Latin America

Beyond Rainforests: Urbanisation and Emigration among Lowland Indigenous Societies in Latin America

The authentication and repatriation of a ceremonial tsantsa to its country of origin (Ecuador)

The genetic evidence for human origin of Jivaroan shrunken heads in collections from the Polish museums

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