O Saber é Estranho e Amargo - Sociologia e mitologia do conhecimento entre os Yaminawa

O artigo, baseado em pesquisa de campo entre varios grupos indigenas de lingua Pano –Yaminawa e Yawanawaocupa- se das ideias locais a respeito do conhecimento, do seu valor, da sua distribuicao e transmissao, a partir, sobretudo, do comentario de alguns mitos. Para alem de um saber cotidiano e nao marcado que e transmitido informalmente pelos mesmos canais que criam o dia a dia da aldeia (especialmente a troca de alimentos) existe um outro saber marcado –cuja maxima expressao e o xamanismo, baseado na ingestao de substâncias amargasque pelo contrario e objeto de apropriacao e riqueza nao necessariamente compartilhada, e que so e obtido por meios dificeis e negociados. A diferenca entre esses dois tipos de saber esclarece algumas caracteristicas da estrutura destas sociedades, e tambem levanta questoes importantes a respeito da gestao dos saberes tradicionais no âmbito global. Knowledge is strange and bitter. Sociology and mythology of Yaminawa knowledge Abstract This article, based on fieldwork among various indigenous groups speakers of Panoan language – Yaminawa and Yawanawa – focuses on local ideas regarding knowledge, its value, distribution and transmission, its perspective standing mainly from the commentary of some myths. Beyond an everyday knowledge which is unmarked and informally transmitted by the same channels that make up the village’s daily life (specially the exchange of food), there is another form of knowledge that is marked – whose most important expression is shamanism, based on the ingestion of bitter substances – and which is, on the contrary, the object of appropriation and wealth which is not necessarily shared, and which is only obtained through difficult and negotiated means. The difference between these two types of knowledge explains some characteristics of the structure of these societies and also raises important questions related concerning the management of traditional knowledges at the local level.