A Bibliography of Guyana Anthropology
edited by Mark G. Plew and Janette Forte
ISBN: 0-9639749-3-9 (1998)
77 pp.
Cost $5.95
Introduction
During the past two decades, research among indigenous peoples of Guyana has increased significantly. Coupled with important new findings and discoveries in ethnography and archaeology of the Lower Amazon, anthropological researchers have become increasingly interested in the diversity and richness of prehistoric and aboriginal cultures in Guyana.
One of the obstacles remains the lack of a working bibliography. Although researchers in the Amerindian Research Unit, University of Guyana initiated the preparation of a definitive bibliography on Amerindians in Guyana in 1984, its broad scope has prevented completion.
In response to a growing demand for written materials on indigenous peoples, Forte published A Selective Reading List on Guyanese Amerindians. The Forte bibliography is organized temporally, regionally, and by topic under subtitles including early colonial contacts, linguistic groupings, demography and health, Rupununi Amerindians, Waiwai, mission and missionaries, ethnobotany and shamanism, and ethnomedicine, among others.
The present bibliography expands the scope and content of Forte’s earlier work. This compilation is intended to serve as a working bibliography for students and scholars interested in the anthropology of Guyana and the northern Amazonian region. Notable inclusions are references pertaining to the archaeology of Guyana and nonanthropological references containing discussion of Amerindians. The bibliography is indexed by major subjects and by the author. Although the bibliography is not inclusive we hope it will enhance and facilitate the efforts of scholars interested in the anthropology of the region.