ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book explores the other side of the coin, that is loci that have, for a variety of reasons, been regarded as inimical to health. It examines the belief system and healing practices of two indigenous peoples in Amazonia: the Apurina and the Yaminawa. The book shows the ontological commitments that underlie these beliefs and practices set them clearly apart from the prevalent western outlook on the health–environment nexus. It looks at indigenous knowledges and practices under the pressure of a majority culture. The variation is highlighted in colonial contexts, which have been meeting grounds not only for different ethnic and national groups but also for different world views, beliefs, healing practices – and germs. Doctors, administrators and politicians have often found it more convenient to target the latter.
