In apparent contrast to the suppopsedly static and antihistoric culture of most Amazonian societies, the people of the lower Urubamba stress the rtansformational and transient nature of civilisation, a process poised between the asocial existence of "wild indians" and the dehumanized life of urban Whites who lives through machines. The author compares this social philosophy with that of other purportedlly "acculturated" Indians of the Amazon, and shows how the distinctive culture of these groups develops themes common to "tradition al" native groups, while reflecting the weight of history of Amazonia.