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This article examines the practice of piercing and stretching the lip in order to accommodate a labret in two regions: the North American Northwest Coast (with historical examples from Tlingit and Haida groups) and lowland South America (utilizing ethnographic writings on Suya and Kayapo communities). Drawing on the recent ‘sensorial turn’ within anthropology, I suggest an approach which goes beyond considerations of the symbolism of body ornaments and analyses how the infliction of pain they involve can be manipulated to serve social ends at a local level. Also discussed is the use of labrets within global ‘mediascapes’ (Appadurai 1996) by Kayapo and Northwest Coast groups in the context of self-representation and the politicization of ‘culture’ (Wright 1998). This article examines the practice of piercing and stretching the lip in order to accommodate a labret in two regions: the North American Northwest Coast (with historical examples from Tlingit and Haida groups) and lowland South America (utilizing ethnographic writings on Suya and Kayapo communities). Drawing on the recent ‘sensorial turn’ within anthropology, I suggest an approach which goes beyond considerations of the symbolism of body ornaments and analyses how the infliction of pain they involve can be manipulated to serve social ends at a local level. Also discussed is the use of labrets within global ‘mediascapes’ (Appadurai 1996) by Kayapo and Northwest Coast groups in the context of self-representation and the politicization of ‘culture’ (Wright 1998).

Constant Tastevin (1880-1962) e Curt (Unkel) Nimuendaju (1883-1945) traduziram as informações detalhadas que coletaram na Amazônia na primeira metade do século XX. Veicularam essas traduções em seus artigos em francês, inglês e alemão, em revistas especializadas, no mercado editorial europeu e norte americano. Transpondo o conhecimento nativo para a linguagem "civilizada", participavam de uma dinâmica de apropriação, relacionando-se, ainda que assimetricamente, com autoridades e instituições do campo científico internacional. As vinculações de Nimuendaju com a tradição germânica o fizeram relacionar-se com Robert Lowie, que o levou a coletar informações etnológicas sobre a mitologia e a organização social Ticuna. Coletando palavras de línguas indígenas junto aos anciãos, Tastevin atendia à preocupação de Paul Rivet com a "salvação" das línguas indígenas que estavam desaparecendo. Remeto o colecionamento de textos e artefato a práticas inauguradas por Franz Boas no sentido de estimular a realização de inventários. Hoje, contudo, a pesquisa etnográfica não se resume a um banco de dados sumário de informações coletadas. A Antropologia da tradução implica a atualização de etnografias do passado, tanto no sentido de comparar os resultados desses registros com registros dos dias atuais quanto no de pensar as possibilidades de re-apropriação hoje dos conhecimentos no âmbito do pensamento e dos movimentos indígenas. Both Constant Tastevin (1880-1962) and Curt (Unkel) Nimuendaju (1883-1945) translated detailed information collected in the Amazon during the first half of the twentieth century. They published their translations into French, English and German, in specialized periodicals in Europe and North America. By transposing the native knowledge to a "civilized" language, they participated in the dynamic of appropriation, as seen through the asymmetrical relationships with authorities and institutions in the international scientific field. Nimuendaju interacted with Robert Lowie, who advised him in his ethnological collection of data on Ticuna mythology and social organization. Collecting words among the Indian elders, Tastevin shared Paul Rivet's fear of the loss of indigenous languages. I correlate the collection of texts and artifacts with practices initiated by Franz Boas to stimulate the formation of inventories. Today ethnographic research cannot be restricted to data on the basis of collected information. The anthropology of translation implies the actualization of ethnographies conducted in the past, with the goal of comparing the results of these records with today's data and considering the possibilities of re-appropriating knowledge into the scope of indigenous thinking and movements.

Objetivo. Discutir cómo los pueblos indígenas del medio río Caquetá ―uitoto, muinane, andoke y nonuya― ejercen y preservan su autonomía frente a los protagonistas de la guerra colombiana y ante las acciones del Estado en la región. Para lograr esto el autor se pregunta, ¿qué es la autonomía y en qué condiciones se desenvuelve? Metodología. De este modo, a través de episodios y diálogos etnográficos, se mostrará que el ejercicio de la autonomía se expresa culturalmente en diferentes escalas políticas, es decir, es diferencial y circunstancial dependiendo de los actores y los espacios en los que se manifieste. Resultados y conclusiones. La autonomía indígena, aun cuando se enfrenta a diferentes amenazas y obstáculos, también logra disfrutar de su plena realización y ejercicio en escenarios sociales concretos que, a través de las prácticas culturales, son defendidos y protegidos. Objective: To discuss how the indigenous people of the Middle CaquetáRiver ―uitoto, muinane, andoke and nonuya― exercise and preserve theirautonomy faced with the protagonists of the Colombian war and the Stateactions in the region. Methodology: To achieve this, the author wonderswhat autonomy is and under which conditions it develops Methodology.Thus, through ethnographic episodes and dialogues, it is shown that theexercise of autonomy is expressed culturally in different political scales; thisis to say it is differential and situational depending on the actors and spacesin which it manifests. Results and conclusions: Indigenous autonomy, evenwhen faced with different threats and obstacles, is also able to enjoy itscomplete fulfillment and exercise in specific social scenarios that, throughcultural practices, are defended and protected.