Re: Amerindian navigators and Eurocentrism in scholarship

[matts2@ix.netcom.com (Matt Silberstein)]

In sci.anthropology WWallace@freedom.org (William Wallace) wrote:

>On Mon, 08 Sep 1997 01:00:35 GMT, matts2@ix.netcom.com (Matt
>Silberstein) wrote:
>
>>In sci.anthropology yuku@globalserve.net (Yuri Kuchinsky 17784) wrote:
>
>>>Greetings, all,
>
>>>I just wonder.
>
>>>Why is it so difficult for a number of scholars in these
>>>newsgroups to accept that the Native South Americans were skilful
>>>navigators in precolumbian times? Why so much evidence presented
>>>to this effect so far has fallen on such deaf ears?
>
>>It is not the abilities that have been questioned, it is the
>>accomplishments. The only evidence that I have seen is sightings of
>>rafts near the coast. That does not provide any evidence for
>>navigation abilities nor navigation accomplishments.
>
>	It is also of interest that using rafts clearly demonstrates
>naval skills so primitive that they are the only examples of their
>use. 
>
I am sorry, but I really disagree about this. I think the prevalence
of rafts off South America stems more from the presence of balsa. If
you have balsa, you don't make a standard style ship and if you have
oak, you don't make a raft.


Matt Silberstein
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CAUCHON. And you, and not the Church, are to be the judge?

JOAN. What other judgment can I judge by but my own?

_Saint Joan_ by GBS, Scene VI