The role of Amerindian societies

Discover the first session of the 2023-2024 Americanist Anthropology Seminar:The role of Amerindian societies in the globalization of plants and the development of science (18th and 19th centuries)

This research gives visibility to the indigenous peoples of Amazonia in the global process of circulation of plants and associated knowledge. I first highlight the central role of indigenous peoples in the cultivation, collection and processing of plants during the Brazilian colonial period (up to 1822). I then attempt to show that these activities were influenced by internal colonial dynamics, as well as by international relations. The case of the ayapana herb is analyzed in detail. This plant became world-famous in the early 19th century thanks to the interaction between indigenous knowledge, Portuguese colonial policy and the achievements of military personnel and naturalists of different nationalities. Such examples show that, in the process of building botany, which has run parallel to the globalization of plants, indigenous peoples have provided specimens and knowledge that are not always recognized in historical and scientific accounts.

• Nelson Sanjad (Museu Goeldi, Brésil)
• Florence Brunois (CNRS)