"This book has special significance as an early example of engaged anthropology. Varese conducted his research with an explicit commitment to letting the Campa Ashaninkas speak for themselves. Using their myths and cosmological interpretations as source material, Varese presents new readings of both colonial Spanish and modern Peruvian documents relating to the tribe. He chronicles the relentless success of European geographic annexation and the continuing failure of European cultural assimilation.

Living among the Campa Ashaninkas, Varese found that their worldview rejects the modern notion that assimilation is inevitable, and he developed a deep respect for the Campa Ashaninkas' fiercely independent spirit. For this reason, he calls his work an "approximation" of their world rather than a description or history."--BOOK JACKET.