BANIWA CULTURE IN BRAZIL

THE BANIWA SPEAK ARAWAKAN WHICH IS SPOKEN BY 6000 FOLKS. THEY ARE RELATED TO CURRIPACO LANGUAGE. THEY INCLUDE THE NORTHWEST AMAZON. THEY BELIEVE IN THE BEGINNING ONLY NAPIRULI THEIR CREATOR FIRST MADE HIS YOUNGER BROTHER. THEN HE CREATED MEN AND WOMAN, FOLLOWED BY THE WORLD, LIGHT, LAND WATER PLANTS AND ANIMALS. HE MADE SEEDS OF EACH PLANT..YUCCA, PINEAPPLE, SUGAR CANE, PLAINTAIN. HE TAUGHT THE WOMEN TO PLANT AND HARVEST AND TO WEAVE BASKETS FOR TRANSPORTING FOOD.

THEY SUFFERED GREATLY FROM THE EXPLOITATION BY THE RUBBER COMPANIES. THEIR POPULATION WAS REDUCED BY CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION. THE REGION'S HISTORY OF VIOLENCE MADE THE BANIWA MIGRATE TOWARD OTHER REGIONS. THEY ABANDONED THEIR ANCESTRAL WAYS. THEY ARE ONE OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS. THEY BUY FOODS LIKE MANIOC AND CASSAVA. THEY MARKET FOODS THAT ARE MOST OF THEIR DIET BUT THEY HUNT, GATHER, AND FISH DEPENDING UPON THE RAINS FOR HUNTING MONKEYS, AND BIRDS. THEY MAKE BLOWPIPES AND BOWS AND ARROWS. POTTERY AND BASKET MAKING HAVE NOT BEEN PASSED ONTO NEW GENERATIONS. THEY MAKE SMALL BROOMS TO SELL. THEY SEW CLOTHING IN COTTON, THEY MAKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND WALKING STICKS.

THEY HAVE NOT LOST THEIR ANCIENT MYTHOLOGY COMPLETELY. THEY BELIEVE THE CLIMATE CHANGES BY MAGICAL FORCES. THEIR CREATOR IS CALLED NAPIRULI AND IS A DIETY ALSO HONORED BY OTHER ARIWAK GROUPS OF SOUTHERN VENEZUELA, AND BARE PEOPLE. THE APARO ARE SHORT MEN WHO CARRY THUNDER AND LIGHTENING OVER THEIR BACKS AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WEATHER. THEY CAN BRING MALIGNANT SPIRITS. THEY SOAR OVER RIVERS DURING THE RAINY SEASON, AND THEY SINK FISHING TOOLS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER. DESPITE THEIR FEAR THAT THE APARO CAN EVOKE, THE BANIWA STILL CANOE IN RIVERS LIKE THEIR ANCESTORS DID FOR YEARS.

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