Darkness in El Dorado
Encyclopedia
Darkness in El Dorado is a book written by investigative journalist
Patrick Tierney in 2000 that accuses geneticist James Neel and anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon
of exacerbating a measles epidemic among the Yanomamo people and conducting human research without regard for their subjects' wellbeing. It was nominated for a National Book Award
. Publication of the book provoked scandal, outrage and public hearings, and has been a source of significant academic controversy. These allegations have also been explored in the recent documentary film Secrets of the Tribe
by Brazilian director José Padilha
.
has since made stern statements concerning the proper conduct for anthropologists in the field. The book was examined and many of Tierney's claims challenged by various panels of historians, epidemiologists, anthropologists, and filmmakers who had direct knowledge of the events soon after its publication.
A detailed investigation of these charges by a panel set up by the University of Michigan
found the most serious charges to have no foundation and others to have been exaggerated. Sponsel and Turner, the two scientists who originally touted the book's claims, admitted that their charge against Neel "remains an inference in the present state of our knowledge: there is no 'smoking gun' in the form of a written text or recorded speech by Neel."
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
Patrick Tierney in 2000 that accuses geneticist James Neel and anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon
Napoleon Chagnon
Napoleon A. Chagnon is an American anthropologist and retired professor emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He was born in Port Austin, Michigan...
of exacerbating a measles epidemic among the Yanomamo people and conducting human research without regard for their subjects' wellbeing. It was nominated for a National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
. Publication of the book provoked scandal, outrage and public hearings, and has been a source of significant academic controversy. These allegations have also been explored in the recent documentary film Secrets of the Tribe
Secrets of the Tribe
Secrets of the Tribe is a film by director José Padilha premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim. This documentary explores the allegations, first brought to light in the book Darkness in El Dorado, that anthropologists studying the Yanomami Indians in the 1960s and 70s...
by Brazilian director José Padilha
José Padilha
José Padilha is an award-winning Brazilian film director and producer.Padilha emerged onto the Brazilian movie scene with his first feature film Bus 174. In 2007, Padilha directed The Elite Squad , his first fictional film. The film was a commercial and critical success, seen by more than 11...
.
Claims
- That Napoleon Chagnon and James Neel directly and indirectly caused a genocide in the region through the introduction of a live virus measles vaccine.
- That the whole Yanomami project was an outgrowth and continuation of the Atomic Energy Commission's secret program of experiments on human subjects.
- That Chagnon's account of the Yanomami are based on false, non-existent or misinterpreted data, and that Chagnon actually incited violence among them.
- That French researcher Jacques Lizot, protégé of anthropology icon Claude Lévi-StraussClaude Lévi-StraussClaude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist, and has been called, along with James George Frazer, the "father of modern anthropology"....
, made prostitution a way of life for young Yanomami boys. - That Kenneth GoodKenneth Good (anthropologist)Kenneth Good is an anthropologist most noted for his work among the Yanomamö and his account of his experiences with them: Into the Heart: One Man’s Pursuit of Love and Knowledge Among the Yanomamo .- External pages :*...
married a Yanomami girl who was barely entering her teens.
Investigation
The American Anthropological AssociationAmerican Anthropological Association
The American Anthropological Association is a professional organization of scholars and practitioners in the field of anthropology. With 11,000 members, the Arlington, Virginia based association includes archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, biological anthropologists, linguistic...
has since made stern statements concerning the proper conduct for anthropologists in the field. The book was examined and many of Tierney's claims challenged by various panels of historians, epidemiologists, anthropologists, and filmmakers who had direct knowledge of the events soon after its publication.
A detailed investigation of these charges by a panel set up by the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
found the most serious charges to have no foundation and others to have been exaggerated. Sponsel and Turner, the two scientists who originally touted the book's claims, admitted that their charge against Neel "remains an inference in the present state of our knowledge: there is no 'smoking gun' in the form of a written text or recorded speech by Neel."
External links
- Darkness in El Dorado at Google Books
- Darkness in El Dorado at Amazon.com
- A comprehensive repository of links to relevant documents compiled by Douglas Hume
- Various perspectives on the American Anthropological Association's referendum to rescind the findings of its El Dorado Task Force
- Chapter One of Darkness in El Dorado (requires login)