This thesis describes and analyzes the semantic categorization of fauna terms in Wayana and the role of culturally significant animals. Wayana is a Cariban language and this thesis specifically...Show moreThis thesis describes and analyzes the semantic categorization of fauna terms in Wayana and the role of culturally significant animals. Wayana is a Cariban language and this thesis specifically focusses on the language as it is spoken in the village of Apetina in the south of Suriname. My research approaches this subject using a transdisciplinary view in order to broaden the perspective on fauna to include indigenous knowledge which in turn can enlighten us about different conceptualizations of the world. Using the data collected from elicitations and spontaneous speech in the village over the course of two visits, I will attempt to create a semantic network of fauna terms. Issues on the perspective on fauna in Wayana include what their categorizations are for animals (e.g. what animals do they eat/do they not eat? How are the animals categorized, and in what priority?). I also attempt to create a better understanding of the role of fauna in ecological management and the role fauna plays in what could be called the “Wayana calendar”. This traditional ecological indigenous knowledge can lead to a deeper understanding of Wayana and the relation that the Wayana have with their natural world.Show less
The main focus of this thesis will lie on answering the question of how illness and health are linguistically expressed in the language of the Wayana, in order to acquire a more culturally...Show moreThe main focus of this thesis will lie on answering the question of how illness and health are linguistically expressed in the language of the Wayana, in order to acquire a more culturally appropriate understanding of the Wayana conceptualization of illness and health, which might result into an improvement of the health care system for the Wayana communities.Show less
It is always difficult to interpret archaeological objects, especially when the original users do not longer exist. The Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden thought of a way to fill in the missing gaps of...Show moreIt is always difficult to interpret archaeological objects, especially when the original users do not longer exist. The Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden thought of a way to fill in the missing gaps of knowledge of their collection of Surinamese Indian objects. By inviting eight Indians from the four biggest Indian groups of Suriname (Wayana, Trio, Kari’na and Lokono), they hoped to find new insights in these objects. These consultations took place in 2009 and 2010. This thesis handles the musical instruments. It uses the ethnomusicological model that has been presented in Alan Merriam’s Anthropology of Music (1964) in order to examine the different aspects of the material culture, as well as the social functions of music. The model examines music on three different levels: cognition, behavior and musical sound. According to the model these three levels are connected and will have an influence on one another. If the musical sound changes, this will have an influence on the way people will react to the music. In that way their cognition will change. This change then has its influence on the way people behave when hearing the music. In the same way this new way of behaving will influence the way of music making by the musician. The research questions will systematically address different facets of this model in order to give an insight to the music and it’s function in four Amerindian societies.Show less
