Background and Explanation for Archive on the Darkness in El Dorado Controversy
Archived here are most of the unpublished documents researched and written by Leslie E. Sponsel since September 2000 about the controversy surrounding the multitude of diverse serious allegations regarding the abuse of professional ethics and human rights by a few of the many anthropologists who have worked with the Yanomami in investigative journalist Patrick Tierney's book Darkness in El Dorado: How Scientists and Journalists Devastated the Amazon (New York: W.W. Norton). These include:
(1) commentaries on the Preliminary Report of the AAA Task Force on Darkness in El Dorado;
(2) refutations of the disingenuous and misleading AAA Referendum of 2005 authored by Thomas Gregor and Daniel Gross in an attempt to censure the Final Report of the Task Force and deflect attention from some of the allegations that have been confirmed;
(3) various constructive recommendations to the AAA leadership for dealing with the broader ethical questions and issues raised by the controversy: and
(4) rebuttal of the misinformation and disinformation in statements by various defenders of Napoleon Chagnon, the principal perpetrator of the alleged abuses according to Tierney.
(5) There is also a summary by Sponsel of an international conference on the controversy that he participated in at Cornell University.
In addition, files have been established here for new statements in future years because it is unlikely that this controversy will ever subside entirely, considering the history of other scandals like the Tasaday, that this one is unprecedented in the entire history of anthropology, and the persistence of some of Chagnon's apologists who are remarkably ignorant, misinformed, or just plain liars.
Published statements by Sponsel are listed on this home page in the file titled "El Dorado Publications."
In addition, based on the statements archived here, his publications on the controversy, and other material, Sponsel has started to develop his own book on this controversy with the working title:
Noble or Savage?: Yanomami and Anthropologists, Professional Ethics and and Human Rights.
Sponsel stands by his statement published on the back cover of the first edition of Tierney's book and on the inside of the second editon:
"In many respects, the most important book ever written about the Yanomami.... It candidly and systematically exposes with ample documentation the data, intepretations, and ethics of the anthropologists who constructed and publicized the fierce image of the Yanomami.... It is no exaggeration to say that this is by far the ugliest affair in the entire history of anthropology."
Various investigations and commentaries have demonstrated that Tierney's book is problematic on some points, but valid on most others. The actions and statements by some in the controversy have indeed been ugly, to say the least, with some previously respected scholars, colleagues, and friends having proven themselves to be unworthy of such designations, given their sustained lack of personal integrity and/or honesty.
By far the most systematic, thorough, balanced, and fair coverage of the entire controversy to date can be found in this book which includes a debate by individuals from various sides:
Robert Borofsky, ed., 2005, Yanomami: The Fierce Controversy and What We Can Learn from It, Berkeley, CA; University of California Press.
The web sites below provide further background and information:
American Anthropological Association Committee on Ethics (includes the Final Report of the Task Force on Darkness in El Dorado, 2005 Referendum, comments, and other archives)
Napoleon Chagnon faculty homepage (includes attempts to refute some of Tierney's allegations)
Dougllas Hume's web site on Darkness in El Dorado (an unparalled and invaluable archive of articles appearing in the media and statements by individuals and organizations as well as an extensive bibliography, and so on).
http://members.aol.com/archaeodog/index.htm
Public Anthropology (archives roundtable discussion on Tierney's allegations, comments on 2005 Referendum, etc.)
http://www.publicanthropology.org