430:
raciais entre negros a brancos em São Paulo," edited by Roger
Bastide and Florestan Fernandes (São Paulo, 1955), Race and Class in Rural Brazil, edited by Charles Wagley (UNESCO, Paris, 1952), and others. At UNESCO, he was responsible for the participation of anthropologists in many important projects around the world, and he consistently emphasized the anthropological point of view in all of the many programs with which he was associated. Anthropology lost not only a productive scholar, but an effective translator of anthropological theory and knowledge into action.
301:. While he was still a student he entered into correspondence with Father John Cooper who introduced him to the American school of cultural anthropology. It is said that Father Cooper did not realize at first that his scholarly correspondent was only 19 and 20 years old. They actually met much later, when Métraux came to the United States; but Father Cooper seems to have had considerable influence on Alfred Métraux's thought. Métraux combined in his work the best of both the European and the American tradition of historical anthropology.
413:
basis for international, inter-cultural, and inter-racial understanding. His early view of war devastated Europe was important in his decision in 1946 to take a post on the secretariat of the United
Nations. Thus, from 1946 until 1962, he worked for his ideals of international and inter-cultural understanding within the framework of international organization with only occasional excursions into academic life and into anthropological field research. In 1946 and 1947, he was a member of the
133:
25:
384:
Steward, acknowledges, "The extent of his (Métraux's) contribution is by no means indicated by the large number of articles appearing under his name. With an unsurpassed knowledge of South
American ethnology and ever generous of his time, his advice and help to the editor and contributors alike have been a major factor in the successful completion of the work." (Vol. I, p. 9). In addition, Métraux taught briefly at
485:
scientific foundation to theories of racial superiority. The 1951 UNESCO Statement on the Nature of Race and Race
Differences enshrined these findings. A dedicated anthropologist and humanitarian, he brought the brilliance of South American Indian cultures to light, solved the mysteries of Easter Island, taught the world about Voodoo, and defined the United Nations' stand against racism. His books include
421:, and finally, in 1950, he became a permanent member of UNESCO's Department of Social Science. As an international civil servant, he served the world and his profession well. He took part in the Hylean Amazon project in 1947–1948, led the UNESCO Marbial Valley (Haiti) anthropological survey from 1948 to 1950 with personnel from the international Labor Office, and studied the internal migrations of the
412:
and he saw the physical and moral desolation of Europe. Although he had by then become a citizen of the United States, this experience seems to have reaffirmed, in a way, his traditional ties with Europe. It also strengthened his belief in the necessity for
European unity and for the need of a firm
383:
In 1941, he joined the staff of the Bureau of
American Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution. There, from 1941 to 1945, he played an important role in producing the monumental Handbook of South American Indians. Perhaps no other writer contributed as many pages to this work. As the editor, Julian
484:
and the ancient cultures of Easter Island. He participated in the framing of the United
Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and later as director of the Dept. of Social Sciences at , he presided over a series of studies which resulted in several publications aiming to prove the absence of
429:
Indians in Peru and
Bolivia (1954). He edited the series of pamphlets on The Race Question and Modern Thought and The Race Question and Modern Science, published by UNESCO since 1950. He also organized the research that led to a series of volumes on race relations in Brazil, such as "As relações
314:
to
Mendoza Argentina. During his research years in Argentina, his work was centred in the study and interpretation of native languages, allowing him to create an extensive record of Argentine native ethnic groups, including: Calchaquí, Guaraní, Chiriguano, Toba & Wichís, and the Uros-Chipaya.
438:
Métraux valued field ethnography more than theory. He let the facts speak for themselves, and many of his facts modified anthropological theory. Yet, one felt that he was too restless and too eager to be on his way to produce detailed and lengthy field reports such as those of
451:
and his book on
Haitian Vodun indicate that he gathered careful and objective data in the field. He liked to think of himself as a field ethnologist. Any evening with him led to stories of nights around a fire with Argentine gauchos, his last stay with the semi-pacified
527:
He was survived also by his brother, Guy Métraux (1919-2000) of Paris, his sister, Vera Conne (1920-2009) of Lausanne, and by two sons: Eric Métraux (1927–92) from his first marriage, and Daniel Alfred Métraux (born 1948), the son of Rhoda Métraux.
309:
Métraux's professional career was equally cosmopolitan. His interest for anthropology and original languages, began early in his life when his father a medical doctor took an overseas appointment, relocating his family from Lausanne
573:
315:
While working on this research, he was invited to collaborate in the writing of the Handbook of South American Indians. Eventually, he founded and became the first director (1928 – 1934) of the Institute of Ethnology at the
319:, in Argentina. During this period, he also published an article for the Universidad Nacional De la Plata Museo of Argentina called "Mitos y cuentos de los Indios Chiriguano" Myths and Stories of the Chiriguano Indians.
523:
did research with him in Mexico, Argentina, and Haiti and was a well known anthropologist. He also married Fernande Schulmann who accompanied him to Chile, Peru, and Brazil and who planned to work with him in Paraguay.
414:
323:
518:
Métraux was married three times. Each of his wives was in a different way a scientific collaborator. His first wife, Eva Spiro Métraux, translated anthropological materials from English to French. His second wife,
725:
409:
490:
267:
601:
720:
507:. On 20 April 1963, Alfred Métraux's corpse was discovered near the Chateaux de la Madeleine in the Vallee de Chevreuse about 30 km outside of Paris.
337:, publishing an ethnology of the indigenous people of the island. This included a description of one the last women to receive traditional facial tattoos,
643:
661:
730:
735:
755:
740:
89:
61:
750:
586:
556:
271:
68:
510:
At the time of his death, he was Professor of South American Anthropology at the École Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris.
665:
262:
from Tbilisi. He received his secondary and university education in Europe, at the Classical Gymnasium of Lausanne, the
715:
628:
385:
42:
680:
108:
75:
705:
57:
710:
46:
263:
700:
369:
447:. He was a sensitive field worker with many years of experience, and his articles on the Argentine
322:
283:
82:
35:
745:
690:
298:
614:
365:
357:
316:
279:
695:
685:
360:. In 1940, upon his return to the United States from South America, he was in residence at
8:
275:
546:
377:
255:
440:
624:
582:
552:
393:
259:
551:. Internet Archive. Honolulu, Hawaii : Bishop Museum Press. pp. 238–239.
520:
397:
361:
481:
426:
223:
674:
620:
496:
465:
422:
345:
334:
460:, his period of residence on Easter Island, a Haitian voodoo ceremony, or a
444:
504:
476:
Métraux published landmark studies of South American Indians including the
373:
290:
231:
461:
338:
326:
311:
247:
207:
186:
153:
448:
408:
In the early spring of 1945, Métraux went to Europe as a member of the
294:
646:
Rongorongo: The Easter Island Script : History, Traditions, Texts
132:
251:
227:
190:
368:. That next year, he worked with the Cross Cultural Survey (now the
286:
and did research at the well-equipped local anthropological museum.
24:
349:
243:
149:
581:. Santa Monica, CA: EISP Foundation Mana Press. pp. 37, 51.
353:
616:
The Girl from the Fiction Department: A Portrait of Sonia Orwell
396:(1943), and the Faculdad Latino-Americana de Ciencias Sociales,
372:) on South American data and was associated with such people as
457:
453:
418:
389:
175:
575:
The iconic tattooed man of easter island: an illustrated life
477:
171:
222:(5 November 1902 – 12 April 1963) was a Swiss and Argentine
464:
ceremony in Bahia which he had attended with his friend
726:
Academic staff of the École pratique des hautes études
254:
where his father was a well-known surgeon resident in
503:Alfred Métraux took his own life by an overdose of
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
415:Department of Social Affairs of the United Nations
380:, and others of the Institute of Human Relations.
672:
388:(1938), the Escuela Nacional de Antropología,
333:In 1934–35, he led a French expedition to
131:
352:. In 1939, he returned to Argentina and
250:, Métraux spent much of his childhood in
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
612:
571:
321:
721:École pratique des hautes études alumni
544:
282:, 1928). He also studied in Sweden, in
673:
268:École nationale des langues Orientales
344:In 1936 –38, he was a Fellow of the
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
13:
731:École Nationale des Chartes alumni
471:
386:University of California, Berkeley
14:
767:
655:
565:
417:, but in 1947 he was assigned to
736:Swiss people of Georgian descent
513:
272:École pratique des hautes études
23:
16:Swiss anthropologist (1902–1963)
756:Archaeologists of Easter Island
741:Drug-related suicides in France
304:
34:needs additional citations for
637:
606:
595:
572:Kaeppler, Adrienne L. (2018).
538:
433:
1:
531:
237:
751:20th-century anthropologists
410:United States Bombing Survey
7:
264:École nationale des chartes
10:
772:
666:Minnesota State University
548:Ethnology of Easter Island
370:Human Relations Area Files
716:Argentine anthropologists
613:Spurling, Hilary (2016).
403:
213:
203:
196:
182:
160:
142:
130:
123:
681:Scientists from Lausanne
662:Alfred Métraux Biography
545:Métraux, Alfred (1971).
491:The History of the Incas
356:for field research on a
289:Among his teachers were
274:(Diplôme, 1927) and the
706:Argentine ethnographers
284:Gothenburg's University
521:Rhoda Bubendey Métraux
364:with a renewal of his
330:
329:by Walter Knoche, 1911
711:Swiss anthropologists
366:Guggenheim Fellowship
358:Guggenheim Fellowship
325:
317:University of Tucuman
270:(Diplome, 1925). The
644:Steven R. Fischer -
137:Alfred Métraux, 1932
43:improve this article
701:Swiss ethnographers
299:Erland Nordenskiöld
258:. His mother was a
378:Leonard Bloomfield
331:
280:Docteur ès lettres
588:978-1-7324952-0-3
558:978-0-910240-12-3
443:on the Brazilian
394:Colegio de Mexico
217:
216:
198:Scientific career
119:
118:
111:
93:
763:
649:
641:
635:
634:
610:
604:
599:
593:
592:
580:
569:
563:
562:
542:
167:
135:
121:
120:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
58:"Alfred Métraux"
51:
27:
19:
771:
770:
766:
765:
764:
762:
761:
760:
671:
670:
658:
653:
652:
642:
638:
631:
611:
607:
600:
596:
589:
578:
570:
566:
559:
543:
539:
534:
516:
474:
472:Accomplishments
441:Curt Nimuendajú
436:
406:
398:Santiago, Chile
362:Yale University
307:
240:
178:
169:
165:
156:
147:
146:5 November 1902
138:
126:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
769:
759:
758:
753:
748:
743:
738:
733:
728:
723:
718:
713:
708:
703:
698:
693:
688:
683:
669:
668:
657:
656:External links
654:
651:
650:
636:
630:978-0241974612
629:
623:. p. 88.
605:
594:
587:
564:
557:
536:
535:
533:
530:
515:
512:
482:Haitian voodoo
473:
470:
435:
432:
405:
402:
306:
303:
266:in Paris, the
239:
236:
224:anthropologist
220:Alfred Métraux
215:
214:
211:
210:
205:
201:
200:
194:
193:
184:
180:
179:
170:
168:(aged 60)
162:
158:
157:
148:
144:
140:
139:
136:
128:
127:
125:Alfred Métraux
124:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
768:
757:
754:
752:
749:
747:
746:Brazilianists
744:
742:
739:
737:
734:
732:
729:
727:
724:
722:
719:
717:
714:
712:
709:
707:
704:
702:
699:
697:
694:
692:
691:1963 suicides
689:
687:
684:
682:
679:
678:
676:
667:
663:
660:
659:
648:
647:
640:
632:
626:
622:
621:Penguin Books
618:
617:
609:
603:
598:
590:
584:
577:
576:
568:
560:
554:
550:
549:
541:
537:
529:
525:
522:
514:Personal life
511:
508:
506:
501:
499:
498:
497:Easter Island
493:
492:
488:
483:
479:
469:
467:
466:Pierre Verger
463:
459:
455:
450:
446:
442:
431:
428:
424:
420:
416:
411:
401:
399:
395:
391:
387:
381:
379:
375:
371:
367:
363:
359:
355:
351:
347:
346:Bishop Museum
342:
340:
336:
335:Easter Island
328:
324:
320:
318:
313:
302:
300:
296:
292:
287:
285:
281:
277:
273:
269:
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
245:
235:
233:
229:
225:
221:
212:
209:
206:
202:
199:
195:
192:
188:
185:
181:
177:
173:
164:12 April 1963
163:
159:
155:
151:
145:
141:
134:
129:
122:
113:
110:
102:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
645:
639:
615:
608:
597:
574:
567:
547:
540:
526:
517:
509:
505:barbiturates
502:
495:
489:
486:
475:
437:
407:
392:(1943), the
382:
374:John Dollard
343:
332:
308:
305:Early career
291:Marcel Mauss
288:
241:
232:human rights
219:
218:
197:
166:(1963-04-12)
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
696:1963 deaths
686:1902 births
434:Ethnography
400:(1959–60).
339:Ana Eva Hei
327:Ana Eva Hei
312:Switzerland
248:Switzerland
228:ethnologist
208:Ethnography
187:Switzerland
183:Nationality
154:Switzerland
675:Categories
532:References
295:Paul Rivet
238:Early life
69:newspapers
602:KronoBase
462:Candomblé
252:Argentina
191:Argentina
350:Honolulu
276:Sorbonne
260:Georgian
244:Lausanne
242:Born in
234:leader.
150:Lausanne
99:May 2023
664:at the
487:Voodoo,
427:Quechua
354:Bolivia
256:Mendoza
83:scholar
627:
585:
555:
458:Brazil
454:Kayapo
423:Aymara
419:UNESCO
404:UNESCO
390:Mexico
297:, and
204:Fields
176:France
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
579:(PDF)
478:Incas
449:Chaco
172:Paris
90:JSTOR
76:books
625:ISBN
583:ISBN
553:ISBN
494:and
425:and
230:and
161:Died
143:Born
62:news
456:of
348:in
45:by
677::
619:.
500:.
480:,
468:.
445:Gê
376:,
341:.
293:,
246:,
226:,
189:,
174:,
152:,
633:.
591:.
561:.
278:(
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
