ABSTRACT
THE previous chapter, which dealt with the social organization of the Dani, exaggerated a sort of timeless equilibrium of the alliances and confederations. In fact, Dani life is shot through with social conflict that keeps the alliances in a state of constant turmoil. But this turmoil is more that of a glacier than of ocean waves. Changes take place over a period of years and decades and are marked by a long period of stress, leading up to a sudden convulsive rearrangement of the political grouping, and then another long period of slowly building stress.
