CUBEO INDIANS

THE CUBEO ARE AN ETHNIC GROUP. THEY ROMP THEY REFER TO CLIFF MYTHICAL CLANS. THEIR VILLAGES ARE ALONGSIDE THE CUDIYARI AND QUERARI RIVERS. IN 1985 THEY HAD ABOUT 43,000 FOLKS SPEAK CUBEO.

THERE HAS BEEN NO ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE VAUPES AREA. IN THE 1500'S EXPEDITIONS BEGAN TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE 17TH CENTURY WHEN MISSIONS WERE ESTABLISHED. BOTH SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE CROUENS WERE SPONSORED TO PROMOTE HACIENDAS, ANIMAL FARMS, AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIONS. IN REACTION OF ABUSE BY MISSIONARIES. AND CIVILIANS, THE CUBEO MANIFESTED THEIR DISCONTENT IN MESSIANI MOVEMENTS. THAT SUCCEEDED EACH OTHER.

FROM 19TH CENTURY THE MIDDLE OF THE 20TH CENTURY THE INDIGENOUS POPULATION WAS SUBJECTED TO SUBHUMAN CONDITIONS. THEIR TERRITORY WAS INVADED BY VARIOUS COUNTRIES FOR GOLD AND COCAINE. PART OF THEIR TERRITORY WAS GIVEN TO THE INDIANS BY THE STATE! THEY ARE ADJUSTING THEIR HEALTH AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS TOO. THEY HAVE TRADE GOING ON BETWEEN THEIR NEIGHBORS. THEY BUILD A LARGE COMMUNAL HOUSE CALLED A MALOCA. ALTHOUGH IT IS NO LONGER USED FOR CEREMONIAL PURPOSES IT IS A COMMUNAL CENTER.

A VILLAGE IS A GROUP OF HOUSES ARRANGED AROUND A PLAYING A PLAYING FIELD. THEY HAVE THE SCHOOL OF THE HEALTH CENTER AROUND THE PLAYING FIELD. THE DESCENDANTS OF A CLAN ARE PART OF THE VILLAGE. RELATIVES CLOSE TO THEM SETTLE NEARLY. THEY USE SLASH AND BURN TECHNIQUES FOR SMALLER PLOTS OF LAND IN WHICH BITTER MANIOC IS PLANTED AS WELL AS FRUITS AND TUBERS. THEY ALSO HUNT, FISH, AND GATHER WILD PLANTS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS. THE COMPOSITE FAMILY IS IN ONE HOUSE. SURPLUS FOOD IS DISTRIBUTED TO RELATIVES. POTTERY AND ITEMS MADE FROM TREE BARK ARE IN ONE HOUSE. BASKETS AND WOOD WORKING IS MORE INTERESTING TO THEM. THEY MAKE TEXTILES OF PALM FIBER. SOME FOLKS STILL HAVE ANCESTRAL FLUTES AND TRUMPETS THAT PERTAIN TO THE VIRUPI RITUAL.

WOMEN PLANT AND HARVEST FIELDS AND PREPARE FOOD, MAKE BASKETRY , POTTERY, AND DO DOMESTIC WORK. MEN HUNT FISH GATHER WOOD, MAKE BASKETS AND CANOES AND HOUSES.

COMMUNAL HOUSES WERE WERE ORIGINALLY CALLED MALOCA. THEY ARE NOW USED AS CEREMONIALLY CENTERS AND TO CONGREGATE. THE MISSIONARIES TURNED THE GATHERING PLACES INTO THE PRESENT LOCAL UNIT. THEY BUILT A SCHOOL AND HEALTH CENTER AROUND THE FIELD. A CLAN IS MADE UP OF EXTENDED FAMILY THEIR DESCENDANTS.

THEY USE SLAB AND BURN FOR FARMING, THEY PLANT TOGETHER MANIOC, FRUIT AND GATHERING WILD PLANTS AND ANIMALS. FAMILIES ARE A UNIT OF PRODUCTION.

POTTERY TREE BARK FIBER IS STILL MADE. WESTERN PRODUCTS ARE REPLACING THE OLD. THEY STILL MAKE BASKETS, WOODWORKING, FISH TRAPS. THEY SMOKE MEAT. MANY PROCESS COCOA LEAVES AND EXTRACT GOLD. THEY WORK FOR LARGE COMPANIES. THEY TRADE MANY ITEMS. WITH THE ANGLOS.

THEIR ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE IS A SOCIETY WITH THE CUBEO CULTURAL LEGACY. THEY BELIEVED IN THE KWAIWA BROTHERS WHO CREATED THE COSMOS. IT WAS THE KUWAAAWAS WHO LEFT ANCESTRAL FLUTES AND TRUMPETS THAT ARE PLAYED IN THEIR IMPORTANT RITUALS. THE ORIGIN OF HUMANITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH ANCESTRAL ANACONDA. THE ANACONDA MOVED UP THE RIVER TO THE CENTER OF THE WORLD. IT BROUGHT FORTH PEOPLE, AND ESTIMATED THE CUBEO IDENTITY.

THE SHAMAN IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INSTITUTION OF THE RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR. THEY KEEP KNOWLEDGE AND ORDER OF COSMOS. IN RITUAL HE IS IS IN CHARGE OF COMMUNITY WITH ANCESTRAL SPIRITS. THEY HAVE SOME CEREMONIES THAT INVOLVE OTHER VILLAGES AND ONE IMPORTANT CEREMONY WAS THE MALE INITIATION. BUT IT I NO LONGER PERFORMED. THEY HAVE MANY PETROGLYPHS THAT MARK THEIR TERRITORY. THE CUBEO BELIEVE IN THEIR ANCESTORS CREATED THEM. MISSIONARIES HAVE REDUCED THEIR RITUALS. THEY STILL PAINT THEIR BODIES. THEY USE MANY HAND MADE INSTRUMENTS AS PANPIPES, SHELLS, STAMP FLUTES, MARACAS, AND RATTLES.

ILLNESS DEMANDS THE CONSTANT ATTENTION OF THE SHAMAN. IT MAY BE CAUSED BY EVENTS OR SEASONAL CHANGES. EACH INDIVIDUAL HAS AN ELEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE OF SHAMANISM. ONLY SHAMANS CARRY OUT CURING RITUALS. SHAMANS MAY POTENTIATE OR PRESERVE POWERS THAT ARE GOOD. WESTERN MEDICINE IS NOW USED BY HEALTH CENTERS IF NEEDED. THEY HELD COMPLEX RITUALS FOR DEATH AND SOME HAVE BEEN ABANDONED. WOMEN WEEP AND WITH MEN RECOUNT THE VIRTUES OF THE DECEASED. THEY BELIEVE THAT A DEAD PERSON'S SOUL WILL DISINTEGRATE IN THE UNDERWORLD.

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