Most of the groups included in the HGP are known for some type of generosity. We have included the Ik, a small group of farmers living in northeastern Uganda, because they have precisely the opposite reputation. In his book The Mountain People, anthropologist Colin Turnbull (1924-1994) depicted the Ik as a dehumanized people, brought low by drought and displacement, who would not help even their own family members. Although The Mountain People reached a wide popular audience, people familiar with the Ik have argued that its depiction of them is flawed and distorted. HGP team member Cathryn Townsend is addressing this controversy by conducting an in-depth study of generosity and mutual aid among the Ik.
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