433 Chapter Seven Cosmos For the Matsigenka of Shimaa, kameti ...

of about 20 cm in length, whereas omani is a huge fish reaching lengths of two meters. Plants or
animals will be assigned now to this class, now to that according to which feature is salient. A
specific animal or plant is what it is, a unique configuration, and this is what matters most, not its
place in a classification.
The only domesticated animals the Matsigenka are familiar with are dogs, cats,
chickens, guinea fowl and Muscovy ducks. Except for dogs and cats (inedible), these fall in the
non-game but edible category along with fish and insects. Chickens and ducks are never
treated as pets, but many people in Shimaa begged us to bring them dogs and cats, even
though, when we did, they all died from one cause or another. They did not die of neglect,
since pets are treated well, but of environmental hazards. Birds and monkeys are often
captured and treated as pets. Pet birds may even be allowed to fly in and out of the house,
making an interesting boundary case between wild and domesticated animals. Also on the
boundary between wild and domestic are the larvae, kao, which are allowed to grow in
discarded beer mash, from which they are harvested as garnish for manioc.
The Matsigenka are, of course, familiar with animal anatomy, since they butcher and
prepare all the animal foods they eat. Children can often be seen playing with animals that have
been killed, exploring the details of their anatomy. Table 7.11 presents the basic terminology
for parts of the body.
head
brain
hair
eye
ear
nose
lips
igito
ikipatsa
igishi
yoki
igempita
igirimashi
itsera
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