life in the amazon river basin
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Indigenous groups such as the Yanomamo and Kayapo have been living in the Amazon for thousands of years, slowly accumulating a detailed knowledge of the rainforest and methods to subsist from it.However, today they need to share the forests with a growing number of settlers who seek to tap into the Amazon's considerable natural resources.
Life inside the rainforestSome estimates put the first human settlements in the Amazon at 32,000 to 39,000 years ago. Since that time, Amazon people have developed lifestyles that are well integrated with the benefits and constraints of rainforests.
Typically, local game includes wildlife found close to rivers, such as fish, turtles, capybara and crocodiles. Until recently, blowguns, arrows tipped with poison and spears were commonplace to hunt down game, but these primitive weapons have increasingly been replaced by guns, when they can be afforded.
Hunter-gatherer groups were once generally nomadic, living in small temporary settlements for 4-5 years until all natural resources were exhausted - then they moved on.
But because of land colonization by non-indigenous people, many local groups were forced into sedentary lifestyles and became peasants.
Such changes not only destroy traditional lifestyles but also cause local people to lose control over their territory. Those who stand to benefit from this are loggers, gold miners and other colonists.
Some hunter-gatherer tribes were once highly territorial. For example, Brazilian Mundurucu head-hunters indiscriminately hunted animals and humans. Raids were carried out on neighbouring groups to acquire women and protect territory.
Amazon people and religious beliefsThe spiritual world is extremely important to the indigenous people of South America, a world they claim to get closer to by utilizing plants that contain certain hallucinogens.
One of the most important persons to many indigenous groups is the shaman, who holds the knowledge of local plants and animals, and who is believed to communicate with the spirit world.
The human impact of European colonists in South AmericaWhen Europeans first arrived in South America, there were about 6.8 million indigenous people. But colonists brought persecution, slavery and diseases that local people were not immune to.
Communities living close to the rivers were the first to be affected, as colonists used these as routes of incursion. Indigenous people living inside the forests were initially spared much of the worst aspects of this European onslaught.
The situation todayToday, most Amerindian tribes live in indigenous reserves called resguardos, where they practice a lifestyle that integrates both traditional and modern elements. Few live in complete seclusion from the modern world.
For example, some make a living from tourism, and/or need to visit the local markets to supplement what they grow in their plant gardens.
In Brazil, indigenous people have participated directly in the demarcation of their lands, ensuring that the boundaries respect traditional use. As a result, traditional lands in Brazil are not called resguardos, but “indigenous lands”.
Life inside the rainforestSome estimates put the first human settlements in the Amazon at 32,000 to 39,000 years ago. Since that time, Amazon people have developed lifestyles that are well integrated with the benefits and constraints of rainforests.
Typically, local game includes wildlife found close to rivers, such as fish, turtles, capybara and crocodiles. Until recently, blowguns, arrows tipped with poison and spears were commonplace to hunt down game, but these primitive weapons have increasingly been replaced by guns, when they can be afforded.
Hunter-gatherer groups were once generally nomadic, living in small temporary settlements for 4-5 years until all natural resources were exhausted - then they moved on.
But because of land colonization by non-indigenous people, many local groups were forced into sedentary lifestyles and became peasants.
Such changes not only destroy traditional lifestyles but also cause local people to lose control over their territory. Those who stand to benefit from this are loggers, gold miners and other colonists.
Some hunter-gatherer tribes were once highly territorial. For example, Brazilian Mundurucu head-hunters indiscriminately hunted animals and humans. Raids were carried out on neighbouring groups to acquire women and protect territory.
Amazon people and religious beliefsThe spiritual world is extremely important to the indigenous people of South America, a world they claim to get closer to by utilizing plants that contain certain hallucinogens.
One of the most important persons to many indigenous groups is the shaman, who holds the knowledge of local plants and animals, and who is believed to communicate with the spirit world.
The human impact of European colonists in South AmericaWhen Europeans first arrived in South America, there were about 6.8 million indigenous people. But colonists brought persecution, slavery and diseases that local people were not immune to.
Communities living close to the rivers were the first to be affected, as colonists used these as routes of incursion. Indigenous people living inside the forests were initially spared much of the worst aspects of this European onslaught.
The situation todayToday, most Amerindian tribes live in indigenous reserves called resguardos, where they practice a lifestyle that integrates both traditional and modern elements. Few live in complete seclusion from the modern world.
For example, some make a living from tourism, and/or need to visit the local markets to supplement what they grow in their plant gardens.
In Brazil, indigenous people have participated directly in the demarcation of their lands, ensuring that the boundaries respect traditional use. As a result, traditional lands in Brazil are not called resguardos, but “indigenous lands”.
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