THE MORTAL PATH: a cognitive-ecological analysis of the concept of disease in the Yanomami culture of the community of Halikato-ú.
Cognitive – ecological linguistics. Frames. Disease. Yanomami.
Halikato-ú is a Yanomami Community located in the north of the state of Roraima, of approximately two hundred indians who live, mostly, from hunting, collecting fruits and plantin manioc. During my time in the Community, i realized thar they had a diferente conception of the deseases, a concept evidenced in constant disagreements and conflicts with nurses and members of nongovernmental organizations. While nurses tried to provide medical help, the community refused, or accepted, only after shamanic rituals. Therefore, the objectives of this paper is to characterize the conception of DIASESE in the the Yanomami Community of Halikato-ú, by the analysis of testimonies acquires during the two months i lived there. For that, i use the analysis model based on frames (DUQUE, 2015), Which makes it possible to observe the activation of these cognitive devices from their various dimensions and, then, identify the way concepts are organized in the construction of meanings that govern the community´s conception of DISEASE. The theoretical foundation of this paper is based on the assumptions made by the Ecological Aprroach to Cognition and Language (DUQUE, 2015; 2016; 2017; 2018; 2019). Regarding the methodological aspects, this research is of a qualitative nature, since it proposes to analyse and describe elements thar make up a certain conception (GERHARDT; SILVEIRA, 2009), and, also, of an interpretative nature (SÁ, 2001) with ethnographic developments (WEBER, 2009; MEINERZ, 2007), considering that i consider my subjectivity, as a researcher, as an additional resource in cultural research. The information acquired in the analysis shows evidence that seems to suggest that the Community of Halikato-ú, conceives the DISEASE from the perspective of death, as a way to be death, and the only one able to relive the patient is the shaman.