1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,460 Visita Mikael Books en Facebook para ver más contenido de libros en inglés. 2 00:00:04,700 --> 00:00:08,300 Unit 7, page 105. Read. 3 00:00:09,980 --> 00:00:14,720 The Strangest of Peoples. Adapted from an article by Horace Minor. 4 00:00:16,240 --> 00:00:22,020 For many years, anthropologists have studied strange and unusual peoples all over the world. 5 00:00:23,060 --> 00:00:26,320 One of the strangest is a group called the Nakirema, 6 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,500 the predominant tribe of the North American continent. 7 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:35,720 The territory of the Nakirema is located between the territories of the Canadian Cree 8 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:37,980 and the Tarahumara of Mexico. 9 00:00:38,860 --> 00:00:42,520 In the southeast, their territory is bordered by the Caribbean. 10 00:00:43,580 --> 00:00:46,640 Relatively little is known of the origin of this people, 11 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,380 though they are said to have come from somewhere to the east. 12 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:56,280 In fact, the Nakirema may be related to certain European and African peoples. 13 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:59,980 Nakirema people spend a great deal of time 14 00:00:59,980 --> 00:01:02,240 on the appearance and health of their bodies. 15 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:08,700 In Nakirema culture, the body is generally believed to be ugly and likely to decay. 16 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:15,020 The only way to prevent this decay is through participation in certain magical ceremonies. 17 00:01:16,140 --> 00:01:20,260 Every Nakirema house has a special shrine room devoted to this purpose. 18 00:01:21,140 --> 00:01:24,000 Some Nakirema houses have more than one shrine room. 19 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:29,560 In fact, it is felt in Nakirema culture that the more shrine rooms a family has, 20 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:30,920 the richer it is. 21 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:33,320 What is in the shrine room? 22 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,880 The focal point is a box built into the wall, 23 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:42,580 inside of which is a large collection of magical potions, medicines, and creams. 24 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:47,080 Below the box is a small fountain from which water is obtained. 25 00:01:48,100 --> 00:01:52,380 Every day, each member of the Nakirema family enters the shrine room, 26 00:01:52,860 --> 00:01:56,820 bows to the chest, and receives magic holy water from the fountain. 27 00:01:57,740 --> 00:01:59,540 Several rituals in Nakirema are performed in the shrine room. 28 00:01:59,540 --> 00:02:04,380 Some Nakirema culture are performed by one sex or the other, but not by both. 29 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:10,380 Every morning, for example, a Nakirema man places a magic cream on his face 30 00:02:10,380 --> 00:02:15,580 and then scrapes and sometimes even lacerates his face with a sharp instrument. 31 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:22,100 A similar ritual performed only by women involves the scraping of the legs and underarms. 32 00:02:23,260 --> 00:02:28,560 In Nakirema culture, the mouth is regarded as a highly significant part of the body. 33 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,960 The Nakirema are fascinated by the mouth 34 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:38,600 and believe its condition has an important and supernatural effect on all social relationships. 35 00:02:39,620 --> 00:02:45,760 The daily body ritual involves an activity that would be considered repulsive in some cultures. 36 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:51,720 It is reported that the Nakirema actually insert into their mouths a stick, 37 00:02:52,180 --> 00:02:57,040 on one end of which are plasticized hairs covered with a magical paste. 38 00:02:57,140 --> 00:02:58,040 They then move... 39 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:03,440 They then move these sticks back and forth in their mouths in highly ritualized gestures. 40 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,960 Among the most important individuals in the culture are the holy mouth people. 41 00:03:09,860 --> 00:03:13,500 Nakiremas visit these practitioners once or twice a year. 42 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:18,680 They possess excellent sharp instruments for performing their magic ceremonies. 43 00:03:19,620 --> 00:03:23,220 They place these instruments in the mouths of the Nakiremas. 44 00:03:23,740 --> 00:03:27,800 If there are holes in the teeth, they are enlarged with these tools. 45 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,240 Then, a supernatural substance is placed in each hole. 46 00:03:33,460 --> 00:03:37,340 It is said that the purpose of this practice is to prevent decay in the teeth 47 00:03:37,340 --> 00:03:41,220 and especially to help Nakirema people to find spouses. 48 00:03:42,820 --> 00:03:46,500 Another significant person in Nakirema culture is the listener, 49 00:03:47,300 --> 00:03:53,980 a witch doctor who is thought to have the power to get rid of the devils in the heads of people who have been bewitched. 50 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,220 Nakiremans believe parents often bewitch their own children, 51 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:02,240 especially while teaching the secret toilet rituals, 52 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,200 and the listeners must unbewitch them. 53 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:11,700 It is also believed that the secret to getting rid of these devils is simply to talk about them, 54 00:04:12,220 --> 00:04:14,260 usually while reclining on a sofa. 55 00:04:15,700 --> 00:04:19,020 Clearly, the Nakirema are a magic-inspired tribe. 56 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:24,220 Much more research is needed in order to understand this strange people.