GUAHIBO AND SIKUNI INDIANS

THE GUAHIBO PEOPLE HAVE A POPULATION OF 9000 IN VENEZUELA. THEY HAVE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY STRESS SYSTEMS. THEIR NAME ORIGIN IS APPLIED TO SEVERAL ETHNIC GROUPS. GUAHIBO IS USED BY GROUPS TO REFER TO AUTHENTIC PEOPLE. THEY LIVE ALONG THE RIO GUAYABERE. THEY TRADITIONALLY LIVE IN THE EASTERN COLOMBIA PLAINS, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA BETWEEEN THE VARIETY OF RIVERS, IN THE 1950'S SOME MIGRATED TO THE EAST. THEY ARE SPREAD IN COLUMBIA. AND VENEZUELA. THEIR LANGUAGE IS ARAWAKEN.

THEY WERE NOMADIC HUNTERS AND GATHERERS AND SEDENTARY RIVER DWELLERS WHO KNEW HORTICULTURE. BEGINNING IN 18TH CENTURY THEY SETTLED ON RIVERS AND CHANGED FROM HUNTING AND GATHERING TO SEMI SEDENTARY HORTICULTURE. FROM THE 17TH CENTURY AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF THE JESUITS, THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO CONGREGATE WITH THEM. THEY HAD INTERETHNIC CONFLICTS. THEIR TERRITORY WAS INVADED BY CATTLE RANCHERS AS LODGING, THE NATIVES WITH BULLETS. THE INDIANS ASSAULTED TRAVELLERS. AS LATE AS 1960'S CATTLE RANCHERS OF THE PLAINS CONTINUED TO RAID AGAINST NOMADIC GROUPS

THE SIKUNI AND GUAHIBO LIVED IN VILLAGES WITH 50 PEOPLE. THEY DEVELOPED IN PROXIMITY WITH MISSIONS. THEIR POPULATION EXCEEDED 100 INDIVIDUALS. THE SETTLEMENT SIZE AND MUTUAL PROXIMITY DETERMINED THEIR ECONOMIC WELL BEING. THEIR MOBILITY IS A FACTOR OF SURVIVAL. IT'S BASED ON THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO STRICT TERRITORIAL CITY. WHATEVER THEIR ORIGINAL TERRITORY THEY CONSIDERED THEMSELVES RELATED AND CAN ESTABLISH NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONS AND ALLIANCES IN ANY PART OF THE AREA. THEIR CREATION OF RESERVES ZONES AND PROTECTED AREAS SINCE 1970'S HAS LIMITED THEIR TRADITIONAL MOBILITY AND RESULTED IN DEFINITIVE SEDENTARY GROUPS.

THE BASIS OF THEIR ECONOMY AND SIKUNI SUBSISTENCE IS BITTER MANIOC. THEY PLANT MAIZE, SWEET POTATOES, SUGARCANE AND PEPPERS. THEY DO HUNTING, FISHING, AND GATHERING. THIS CONTRIBUTES TO AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THEIR DIET. SOME PEOPLE TRAVEL TO FIND ABUNDANT ANIMALS, AND RESOURCES. PIGS AND CHICKENS ARE RAISED FOR SOME TRADING. THE INDIANS WORK AS RANCH HANDS OR AS TEACHERS.

THEY MAKE BASKETS AND POTTERY AND HAVE SPECIAL CRAFTS FOR TRADE OR JUST FOR ART. THEY WEAVE TRAYS WITH DESIGNS OF SYMBOLIC VALUE. HAMMOCKS ARE MADE OF PALM FIBERS.

AT THE TIME OF CONTACT WITH ANGLOS THEY HAD AN ACTIVE TRADE CONNECTION WITHIN THE REGION. THE GUAHIBO EXCHANGED THEIR GAME AND GATHERED PRODUCTS AS ITEMS FROM FAR AWAY. THEY HAD A LOSS OF POPULATION AND THE LOSS OF SPECIALIZATION AS WELL AS DIVERSIFIED ECONOMY.

MEN CUT AND BURN THEIR FIELD TO PREPARE FOR NEXT SEASON PLANTING. A MAN WHO WANTS TO MARRY MUST WEAVE A MANIOC AND OTHER BASKETS TO GIVE TO HIS FUTURE BRIDE. WOMEN DO THE PLANTING AND HARVESTING AND PREPARE FOOD FOR AND GRIDDLE CAKES AND LEACH MANIC. THEY ALSO MAKE POTTERY.

THE GUUAHIBO - SIKUNI WORLD RESULT OF THE ACTION OF THERE CULTURE HEROS WHO MADE THE WORLD ALIVE. THEY HAD MANY DEITIES -BOTH BENEFICIAL AND TRANSFORMATIVE. BY THE 20TH CENTURY CHRISTIANITY WAS GROWING. THEIR USE OF THE PSYCHOTROPIC YOPA HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. NATURE AND GRANDPARENTS OF THE ANIMALS APPEAR AS GHOSTS. THEY MUST BE MODERATED TO CONSERVE RESOURCES.

THEY HAVE A RITUAL FOR A GIRL WHO HAS REACHED PUBERTY. THERE IS A PRAYER FOR NAMING ANIMALS OF THE HUNT THAT MIGHT HARM THE CHILD. STORYTELLING IS THE MOST APPRECIATED ART FOR THE SIKUNI. THEY ALSO PLAY PAN FLUTES.

THEIR BASIS OF MEDICINE THE USE OF YOPA OR TOBACCO. WHEN SHAMANS INGEST THESE MEDICINES THEY HAVE AN ABILITY TO SEE PATHOGENIC AGENT, LIKE HAIR OR CRYSTALS IN THE BODY AND EXTRACT ITAND RETURN THEM TO WHOEVER SENT THEM . THEY ALSO ENTER A TRANCE. UPON DEATH A SHAMAN USES THE SUBSTANCES TO IDENTIFY AN ENEMY WHO CAUSED DEATH.

THEIR CEREMONY TAKES PLACE 2 - 3 YEARS AFTER A BURIAL. MANIOC BEER IS SERVED. THEIR SPIRIT IS BELIEVED TO GO TO THE WORLD OF THE DEAD.

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