South American Indigenous
Tribes
By: Katie Schleper
Background Info
• Many of the estimated 2,000 nations and
tribes which existed in the 16th century
died out as a consequence of the
European settlement, and many were
assimilated into the Brazilian population.
• Many indigenous people died as a result
of Europeans killing them off.
• There is a confirmed number of 67
uncontacted tribes in Brazil, as of 2007.
Jivaro Tribe
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Although there are many
headhunting cultures around
the world, this tribe is the only
group known for shrinking
heads (tsantsa)
The Jivaro live deep in the
Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest,
neighboring the Peruvian
rainforest
The Jivaro are the only tribe to
resist being overcome by the
Spanish, Incas, and early
conquistadors
The Jivaro have a reputation for
fierceness
Molten gold was once poured
down a Spanish Governor's
throat until his bowels burst
Kayapo Tribe
• The Kayapo Tribe lives in
the vast Matto Grosso
plains
• The Kayapo men
traditionally wear disks in
their lower lips
• Body adornment is
important in their tribe,
ear plugs symbolize
receptivity to others, while
lip plugs symbolize
assertiveness
Penare (Pah-nah-ree) Tribe
• The Penare people live in the
Venezuelan Amazon Basin
• They are very traditional,
they still live in thatched
huts, and dress in traditional
clothing
• Penare women are not
allowed to learn Spanish,
when speaking to outsiders
they must communicate
through a male interpreter
• While this is obviously
sexist, it is also a good thing
because women continue to
pass down the culture,
myths, and stories
• It has been said that after a
tribe begins speaking
Spanish, the native culture
disappears in about 25 years
Yanomamo Tribe
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The Yanomamo people live in
the Amazon Basin in Venezuela
and Brazil
This tribe is believed to be the
most primitive and culturally
intact, they are literally a stone
age tribe
The Yanomamo have never
discovered the wheel
The only metal that the people
use is that which has been
traded with them from outsiders
Their numbering system is one,
two, and more than two
The tribe cremates their dead,
and crushes and drinks the
bones in a ceremony intended
to keep their loved ones with
them forever
Tupi Tribe
• The Tupi tribe was believed to
occupy the Amazon rainforest
and later migrated to the
Atlantic coast
• Tupi tribes often fought
amongst themselves because
there was no unified Tupi
identity
• The Tupi tribe practiced
cannibalism as a ritual after
war
• The Tupi captured enemies
and ate them because they
believed that they were
absorbing the strength of that
enemy
Tapirapé Tribe
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The tribe lives deep in the
Amazon rainforest
The Tapirapé tribe lived off of a
slash and burn horiculture,
plots of land were only planted
once or twice before another
patch was cleared
The Tapirapé people have a
strict population control policy
No couple could have more
than three children, and not
more than two of the same
gender
This was because of the logic
that estimated that no man
could support more than three
children
Any extra children were
immediately killed
Matsés or Mayoruna Tribe
• This tribe inhabits the Peruvian
and Brazilian Amazon
• The Mayoruna people believe
that there is no distinction
between the spiritual and
physical world
• The people often practice
polygamy (more than one
partner) and cross-cousin
marriages are common
• Bows and arrows are the most
common weapons, but are
only used for hunting
• Mayoruna people historically
used blowguns, but recently
abandoned them in favor of
archery