The Piaroa grow food in temporary gardens which support a growing population, supply them with good nutrition, and provide more income than modern, high-input agriculture would. Germán N. Freire carefully explains why in an upcoming journal article. His basic argument is that the Piaroa find their traditional swidden (shifting) agricultural… Continue reading…
Piaroa society has changed over the past 40 years: they have moved to more accessible locations, many have accepted evangelical Christianity, and they are cautious about sharing their knowledge with visitors. Serena Heckler, in an article which she contributed to a recent book, concentrates on the third issue—their indigenous knowledge…. Continue reading…
A new study of six indigenous societies in Venezuela concludes that playing games by children helps promote their growth and the successful transmission of their culture. The Inter Press Service, a news agency devoted to disseminating news from the developing countries, reported Tuesday that a team under the leadership of… Continue reading…
When groups of Piaroa laugh and tease a young man who just farted, they feel the merriment helps preserve everyone’s good health—much as Germans might say gesundheit to people who sneeze. But the intentions of the Piaroa go deeper than simple fun. They believe that the fart may release powerful… Continue reading…
Several posts in the blogosphere update last week’s coverage of protests by Indian peoples, including the Piaroa, that the New Tribes Mission (NTM) would be expelled from Venezuela. A blog carried by Salon.com posted a comment by a New Tribes missionary named Matt who was irritated that the blogger did… Continue reading…
Nearly 3,000 Venezuelan tribal people, including Piaroa representatives, held a large protest march in Puerto Ayacucho, the capital of Amazonas state in southern Venezuela, last Friday. The protestors expressed their opposition to the announcement by President Hugo Chávez that the New Tribes Mission (NTM), an American-based evangelical group, must be… Continue reading…
Except for sorcery attacks against unknown outsiders who are presumed to be responsible for diseases and deaths, Piaroa territory is almost completely free of physical violence. Joanna Overing, in a 1989 article added this week to the Archive of this website, describes essential elements of Piaroa beliefs: how they define… Continue reading…
The homegardens of the Piaroa serve many purposes in addition to food production. They provide building materials, supplies for hunting magic, medicinal plants, and the setting for social activities. The gardens display the creativity of their owners, and they serve as sources of pride and self-esteem. The Piaroa use them… Continue reading…
Piaroa women gain fulfillment, pleasure, and respect from raising manioc in their gardens, one anthropologist argues, and this work is essential to their society. In her recent article “Tedium and Creativity: The Valorization of Manioc Cultivation and Piaroa Women,” published in the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute volume 10,… Continue reading…
Piaroa women gain fulfillment, pleasure, and respect from raising manioc in their gardens, one anthropologist argues, and this work is essential to their society. In her recent article “Tedium and Creativity: The Valorization of Manioc Cultivation and Piaroa Women,” published in the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute volume 10,… Continue reading…
