Piaroa people
 Piaroa at work | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Venezuela,  Colombia | |
| Languages | |
| Piaroa, Maquiritare, Yabarana, and Spanish[1] |
The Piaroa are an indigenous people of the middle Orinoco Basin in present day Venezuela, living in an area equivalent to the size of Belgium, roughly circumscribed by the Parguaza (north), the Ventuari (south-east), the Manapiare (north-east) and the right bank of the Orinoco (west). Their present day population is of about 14,000 www.ine.gov.ve, with some 500 living on the left bank of the Orinoco River, in Colombia, in several reservations between the Vichada (north) and the Guaviare (south).[2]
Name
The Piaroa, a term of unknown origin, are also known as De'arua (masters of the forest), Wothuha (knowledgeable people), also spelled Huǫttują (NTM spelling) and Wötʰïhä (IPA spelling), and De'atʰïhä (people of the forest).[3]
Language
The Piaroa speak Wötʰïhä tivene, or Piaroa language, which belongs to the Salivan language family.[4]
References
- ^ a b "Piaroa." Ethnologue. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ^ Freire & Zent. 2007. "Los Piaroa", in Salud Indígena en Venezuela, vol. 1. Ministerio de Salud.
- ^ Freire & Zent. 2007. "Los Piaroa", in Salud Indígena en Venezuela, vol. 1. Ministerio de Salud.
- ^ Overing, J. 1988. "Los Wothuha," in Aborígenes de Venezuela, edited by J Lizot. Fundación La Salle.
External links
- Piaroa profile at peacefulsocieties.org
- Indian Cultures – Piaroa
- Graeber David Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology. Chicago, Prickly Paradig Press Feb. 2011
- The shaman's necklace on YouTube: a 1-minute excerpt from a documentary film directed by anthropologist Lajos Boglár in 1968, uploaded by the Ethnographic Museum (Budapest).
- Photos on material culture of Piaroa, and a summary on mythological figures (Wahari, Cheheru, Kwemoi): Indígenas de Venezuela: los Piaroa (Part 1) by Ronny Velásquez and Nilo Ortiz. Also a PDF version provided. Translation can be read here.
- Photos and article on spiritual culture of Piaroa, paraphernalia of the Warime mask dance: La ceremonia Piaroa del Wärime (Part 2) by Ronny Velásquez y Nilo Ortiz. Also a PDF version provided. Translation can be read here.