World History 1971 Part 1

About the history of the world in 1971, the lost tribe of the Tasaday is found, the New York Times releases the Pentagon Papers,

TWO CENTURIES OF WORLD HISTORY: 1778-1978

1971

Feb. Women won the right to vote in Switzerland.

June A lost tribe of Stone Age people known as the Tasaday were discovered in the uncharted tropical rain forest of the South Cotabato mountains in southern Mindanao, the Philippines. The culturally and linguistically distinct group consisted of some two dozen men and women (four married couples, a widower, a bachelor, and 14 children ranging in age from one year to 18 or 19). They displayed no aggressive tendencies whatsoever, either to outsiders or to one another. They endured a nomadic existence, throwing up a palm leaf lean-to here and there, but always on the go. And they knew nothing of farming. Living mostly on wild potatoes, fruits, and rattan and bamboo shoots, the Tasaday derived some protein from crabs and small fish. Monkey meat was considered a delicacy to be brought out only on special occasions. They gagged on sugar and jelly sandwiches provided by visiting anthropologists. They practiced by visiting anthropologists. They practiced strict monogamy and reached decisions in informal meetings in which men and women spoke equally. Age alone commanded respect. Many went around in G-strings, but most of the men had taken to strapping a broad leaf through the crotch to protect the genitals from insects, nasty thorns, and vine burns. Although they appeared in good health, they practiced no medicine and confessed to leaving the sick to die. What did they think of these outsiders invading their turf? Apparently Tasaday legend predicted the arrival of "a good man" who would help them, and, they reasoned, their messiah had come. The biggest problem facing anthropologists clearly was language. The Tasaday spoke an unknown dialect of Blit, a member of the Malayo-Polynesian language family. But through an elaborate game of show and tell, the two cultures did communicate in broad terms. The Philippine government has roped off the Tasaday homeland as a preserve against the ever advancing logging industry there. As for the Tasaday themselves, they were given the choice of either slowly assimilating into civilization or maintaining their present secluded existence. For now at least, they have decided to stay put.

You Are Here: Trivia-Library Home » World History: 1971 » World History 1971 Part 1
World History 1971 Part 2 »