Dr. Barbara Ganson is Professor of History at Florida Atlantic University at Boca Raton. She specializes in the field of ethnohistory, the study of how cultures when they come into contact with one another.
During my memorable interview and visit in 1991 to the village of Acaray-mí in a remote area of A... more During my memorable interview and visit in 1991 to the village of Acaray-mí in a remote area of Alto Paraná on the Paraguayan-Brazilian border, an Avá-Chiripá shaman and cacique emphasized to me that "he has entire books in his head." My former Paraguayan professor of philosophy of history at the
Caught between tradition and modernity, more than 100,000 indigenous Guaraní-speaking peoples cur... more Caught between tradition and modernity, more than 100,000 indigenous Guaraní-speaking peoples currently reside in southern South America in what is today Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Bolivia. With the exception of the Chiriguanos in southeastern Bolivia, few colonial and 19th-century documents make reference to the names of the different Guaraní groups now recognized. Among the Guaraní groups are the Pai-Tavytera, Mbyá-Guaraní, Avá-Chiripá, Ñandeva, and Kaiowá. Like their ancestors, the Guaraní today experience a clash of cultures and new social values and conflicts over land, religious beliefs, and their need to defend their identity and independence. These indigenous peoples also face new issues such as deforestation, the loss of hunting and fishing sites, and even suicide among young male Kaiowá adults in southern Brazil. Traditionally, scholars, such as anthropologist Elman Service, thought little remained of Guaraní culture other than the language. However, some academics now underscore the significance of the popular beliefs in Guaraní folklore, knowledge of botanical plants, use of curanderos by peasants, and how the native Guaraní language is spoken far more widely than Spanish in Paraguay. In 1992, the Guaraní language (which belongs to the Tupí-Guaraní linguistic family) became one of Paraguay’s official languages, along with Spanish. The Guaraní peoples also represent a central element in the national identity in the region with numerous soccer teams named Guaraní in Argentina and Paraguay. The national currency of Paraguay is the Guaraní. The airport in Santo Angelo—Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil—is named after Sepé Tiarajú, one of the major leaders in the Guaraní rebellion against Spain and Portugal in the 1750s. The Guaraní have also been depicted in films, such as The Mission (1986) and Terra Vermelha (2008, released in 2010 in the United States as Birdwatchers.)
to begin the War of Independence in 1895. One of the book's most interesting chapters, "From Refo... more to begin the War of Independence in 1895. One of the book's most interesting chapters, "From Reformism to Anarchism," explains how "anarchism became the most popular ideology of the Cuban labor movement," outlining its close connections to Spanish anarchism, especially the Catalan branch (146). Casanovas also reveals the strong connection between the labor movement in Cuba and that of the emigre communities in the United States. Throughout the book are useful tables, charts, and graphs. Also of interest are numerous cartoons from contemporary newspapers and periodicals and sketches and drawings of Cubans from observers such as Samuel Hazard, a journalist from Philadelphia who visited the island during the 1860s. The book is very well organized, thoroughly researched, and clearly written. It will be useful for upper-level undergraduate courses and graduate courses dealing with Cuban society and Spanish colonialism.
During my memorable interview and visit in 1991 to the village of Acaray-mí in a remote area of A... more During my memorable interview and visit in 1991 to the village of Acaray-mí in a remote area of Alto Paraná on the Paraguayan-Brazilian border, an Avá-Chiripá shaman and cacique emphasized to me that "he has entire books in his head." My former Paraguayan professor of philosophy of history at the
Caught between tradition and modernity, more than 100,000 indigenous Guaraní-speaking peoples cur... more Caught between tradition and modernity, more than 100,000 indigenous Guaraní-speaking peoples currently reside in southern South America in what is today Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Bolivia. With the exception of the Chiriguanos in southeastern Bolivia, few colonial and 19th-century documents make reference to the names of the different Guaraní groups now recognized. Among the Guaraní groups are the Pai-Tavytera, Mbyá-Guaraní, Avá-Chiripá, Ñandeva, and Kaiowá. Like their ancestors, the Guaraní today experience a clash of cultures and new social values and conflicts over land, religious beliefs, and their need to defend their identity and independence. These indigenous peoples also face new issues such as deforestation, the loss of hunting and fishing sites, and even suicide among young male Kaiowá adults in southern Brazil. Traditionally, scholars, such as anthropologist Elman Service, thought little remained of Guaraní culture other than the language. However, some academics now underscore the significance of the popular beliefs in Guaraní folklore, knowledge of botanical plants, use of curanderos by peasants, and how the native Guaraní language is spoken far more widely than Spanish in Paraguay. In 1992, the Guaraní language (which belongs to the Tupí-Guaraní linguistic family) became one of Paraguay’s official languages, along with Spanish. The Guaraní peoples also represent a central element in the national identity in the region with numerous soccer teams named Guaraní in Argentina and Paraguay. The national currency of Paraguay is the Guaraní. The airport in Santo Angelo—Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil—is named after Sepé Tiarajú, one of the major leaders in the Guaraní rebellion against Spain and Portugal in the 1750s. The Guaraní have also been depicted in films, such as The Mission (1986) and Terra Vermelha (2008, released in 2010 in the United States as Birdwatchers.)
to begin the War of Independence in 1895. One of the book's most interesting chapters, "From Refo... more to begin the War of Independence in 1895. One of the book's most interesting chapters, "From Reformism to Anarchism," explains how "anarchism became the most popular ideology of the Cuban labor movement," outlining its close connections to Spanish anarchism, especially the Catalan branch (146). Casanovas also reveals the strong connection between the labor movement in Cuba and that of the emigre communities in the United States. Throughout the book are useful tables, charts, and graphs. Also of interest are numerous cartoons from contemporary newspapers and periodicals and sketches and drawings of Cubans from observers such as Samuel Hazard, a journalist from Philadelphia who visited the island during the 1860s. The book is very well organized, thoroughly researched, and clearly written. It will be useful for upper-level undergraduate courses and graduate courses dealing with Cuban society and Spanish colonialism.
Uploads
Papers by Barbara Ganson