Words of questions are not counted in total words. well done will receive tips.
The document is in the attachment. Thank you!
WADE DAVIS, Light at the Edge of the World, Chapter 1-3
Chapter 1
1. What profound lesson was learned from the first moon landing?
2. What does Davis say in chapter 1 about the blind spots of any members of a particular society?
Chapter 2
1. On pp 24-5 Davis tells us about a race. Who competes in it? What is the desired outcome? What does it accomplish?
2. On page 27, Wade Davis talks about seeking ‘the proper conduit to a culture’. What two ‘conduits’ – two ways of living and getting sustenance, or subsistence – does Davis talk about?
3. At what point did Alex begin to tell WD the stories WD had been waiting and wanting to hear? What are the stories about? What was Alex’s storytelling like? What does WD feel about writing the stories down? Why?
4. Where do the Kogi and Ika people live?
5. We hear on page 41 that coca is the most revered plant of the Andes. It is an example of a material ‘object’ that can take on social – symbolic – spiritual meaning for a group. Make a list of the things Davis tells us about coca on page 41 – 44. Sort these uses of coca into three categories.
6. What does Davis tell about the young Kogi man, Adalberto Villafane, his gourd, lime and coca?
7. On pp. 46 -7 Davis tells us the origin story of the Kogi and Ika people. Describe the story with all its steps and components.
8. On page 47 Davis tells us, “For the Indians of the Sierra everything begins and ends with the loom, and the metaphor of thread in the cosmic cloth.” Describe all the ways this plays out in the people’s daily life.
9. How does the Kogi idea of the earth as “an immense loom upon which the sun weaves the fabric of existence” play out in their temples.
10. List all the examples of reciprocity Davis gives on p. 57 – 8.
11. Read Davis’ tale of the mujonomiento, the yearly run along the boundaries of a people’s land that Davis calls an ‘astonishing ritual’.
· Who is the waylaka, what does he wear, and what is his role?
· Why do you think all the men are required to participate in the mujonomiento?
· What does the ritual ‘accomplish’ for the people of Chinchero?
Chapter 3
1. Chapter 2 focuses on people of the Andes mountains. Where is chapter 3 set?
2. How does Davis describe this part of the world on pp 67-9?
3. How does Davis describe his daily routine in Winikina?
4. How is the shaman, Don Antonia Lorenzano, buried?
5. For the Warao, “The world begins with the land itself.” What is their land like? How do they experience it? How do they describe it?
6. The Warao’s most sacred object, the canoe, is also the most utilitarian, the one they need and use most. What practical role does the canoe play in daily life? What does it symbolize? What happens during the building of a canoe?
7. Describe the origin story of the Barasana people and how it plays out in daily life. (pp 80 – 82) DRAW the stages
7. Describe the maloca of the Barasana.
8. What is outside, or beyond, the maloca and how does it differ from inside?
9. On p 85 Davis says there is ‘life on the material plane’ and life on the spiritual plane. How does he describe each realm? What is their relationship? Who is the only one who can mediate between them? What can be accomplished by this ability to slip between the two realms?
10. How do groups’ material and symbolic culture emerge from their environment?
Give 4 examples.
