Amerindian Chieftainship in Political Anthropology

The writings of Pierre Clastres have contributed to the diffusion of the idea that the main feature of the political organization of the non-Andean South American aboriginal peoples was the institution of the powerless chieftainship. The range of political systems found in this area is actually much wider: it is now well established that numerous hierarchical and stratified chiefdoms flourished in the forest areas before the Conquest; on the other hand, many contemporary ethnic groups are totally devoid of chiefs, even titular ones. Moreover, while some South American tribes have deprived their chiefs of effective means of coercion, they have given huge powers to their shamans. A reflection on power in this type of society should therefore not ignore the important role played by specialists of the supernatural world.