LBP:A9320285 Lieberman This project involves a cultural anthropology graduate student from the University of Florida, studying the health and medical practices of a small group of South American Indians. The student will live with the Indians in three hamlets in the Brazilian Amazon to assess the effects of varying contact with the Brazilian National Indian Agency (FUNAI) on their health and medical practices. Using techniques of compiling personal medical histories, dietary analysis, anthropometry, time allocation studies and ethnographic interviews, the student will assess the viability of the traditional belief system. This research is important because it provides information about one of the few remaining communities of foragers in the world, who are changing rapidly. Aside from the benefits to U.S. science of training a professional anthropologist and providing knowledge about this important area of the world, this sort of case study about medical traditions and practices will provide valuable information which can be used to inform policies of any state with respect to such small, unintegrated groups. The research also has the potential of discovering valuable traditional health practices which could be beneficial in other situations. ***
