Bernard Lelong

Bernard Lelong worked in Latin America for an airline company. Self-taught in anthropology, he focused his research on the Lamista, an indigenous society in Peru’s eastern foothills. He became fascinated by their history and culture, and particularly by their concepts of illness and their knowledge of medicinal plants. It was during this time that he built up an important ethnobotanical file. He published several articles in Les Temps modernes and two books, one in collaboration with Jean-Luc Lancrey-Javal, Cordillère magique (preface by Marcel Griaule, published by Amiot Dumont in 1955); the other published under his own name, La Rivière du Maïs (published by J.-C. Lattès in 1974), in which he recounts his journey in search of a lost expedition in the Peruvian Amazon. On his return to France, he acquired a large estate in the Sologne region. Now living off the management of his estate, he organized several scientific expeditions to the Amazon. He came up with the idea of offering the site as a place for researchers to “work in peace and quiet”, and established the CNRS as his universal legatee. And so it was that, following his death in 1980, the first Lelong grants were awarded. Now living off the good management of his estate, he organized several scientific expeditions to the Amazon. He came up with the idea of offering this place for researchers to “work in peace and quiet”, and appointed the CNRS as his universal legatee. And so it was that, following his death in 1980, the first Lelong grants were awarded. The estate has since been sold and the money invested. Through this universal bequest to the CNRS, Bernard Lelong wished to encourage anthropological research in the Peruvian Amazon conducted by specialized anthropologists. It is in keeping with this desire that the CNRS Foundation, together with the CNRS Institute of Human and Social Sciences, provides annual funding for these projects.