WAIWAI INDIANS IN GUYANA

WAIWAI MEAN TAPIOCA. THEY MAKE AND EAT MUCH TAPIOCA. THEY INTERMARRY WITH OTHER GROUPS. THEY LIVE ALONG THE RIVER MET THEM IN 1950'S. THEY ASSIMILATED MANY SMALL TRIBES WHO WERE IN THEIR VILLAGES.

THEY LIVE IN REMOTE VILLAGES. IN THE TROPICAL FORESTS OF GUYANA. THEY EXPANDED TRADE AND MARRIAGE CONTACTS. WHEN THE MISSIONARIES SETTLED HERE IN 1949 THEIR TRIBES RELOCATED NEAR THE MISSION. IN THE 1970S MOST MEMBERS RETURNED TO BRAZIL. IN 1989 THERE WAS ONE VILLAGE IN GUYANA AND THREE IN BRAZIL. THEY HAD A POPULATION OF ABOUT 200 IN THE 1950'S AND BY 1989THEY REACHED 1200 FOLKS (INCLUDING SMALL TRIBES). THEY SPEAK CARIB.

BY 1837 THEY HAD EXCHANGED BETWEEN TRIBES. THEY HEARD THE RUMOR THAT IF THEY DID NOT CONVERT TO CHRISTIANITY, THEY WOULD BE DESTROYED BY A WORLDWIDE FIRE. IN THE 1970'S THE NEW INDEPENDENT GUYANESE GOVERNMENT WAS HOSTILE TO US MISSIONARIES AND MOST MOVED BACK TO THE FARMER SITES. THEIR VILLAGES HAD 15 TO 50 PEOPLE AND WERE IN A SINGLE HOUSE CALLED A MUMO. SETTLEMENTS WERE DISPERSED OVER A LARGE AREA AND MOVED EVERY 5 TO 7 YEARS WHEN THEIR HOUSE BECAME OLD OR THE RESOURCES WERE EXHAUSTED. THEIR MULTIFAMILY SETTLEMENTS WERE REPLACED WITH NUCLEAR FAMILY HOUSES. THEY TRAVEL FURTHER TO A NEW GARDEN OR HUNTING GROUNDS. VILLAGES MAKE UP NEIGHBORHOODS.

IN OLD TIMES THEIR SUBSISTENCE WAS BASED ON ON HUNTING, FISHING, GATHERING AND HORTICULTURE. THEIR CYCLE ALTERNATES BETWEEN DRY AND RAINY SEASONS. SOMETIMES THEY HAD PLENTIFUL FOOD AND OTHER TIMES SCARCITY. THEY ALSO GROW SMALL GARDENS AND USE THEM FOR ONLY THREE YEARS. THE MAIN CROP IS MANIOC, A POISONOUS TUBER THAT IS PROCESSED TO MAKE BREAD, FARINA, AND TAPIOCA. THEY GROW VARIOUS FRUITS, NUTS, AND OTHER TUBERS AND COTTON. THE FOREST PROVIDES PALM FRUITS, NUTS, AND OTHER MATERIALS. THEY HUNT WITH BOWS AND ARROWS TO CAPTURE MANY SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED ANIMALS. THEY FISH AND MAKE THEIR CANOES. CANOES AND MANIOC ARE SOLD TO COLONISTS.

THEY STILL MAKE MOST OF THEIR OWN TOOLS. FOR TWO CENTURIES THE WAIWAI HAVE TAKEN PART IN A VAST INTER TRIBAL NETWORK THAT STRETCHES FROM GUYANA TO NORTH BRAZIL. THE WAIWAI TRAIN HUNTING DOGS AND PARROTS AND TRAIN THEM FOR FLASHLIGHTS, MOSQUITO NETS AND FISHHOOKS.

MEN PROVIDE MEAT AND WEAVE BASKETS; WOMEN DO MOST GARDENING AND AND RAISE CHILDREN. THE VILLAGE BELONGS TO THE CHIEF! GARDENS BELONG TO THE PEOPLE WHO HELP WITH THEM.

THEY BELIEVE THE UNIVERSE IS SAID TO TO HAVE 5 TIERS : AN UNDERWORLD, THE EARTH, AND THREE HEAVENS. THEY HAVE MYTHS WHO RECOUNT THE ORIGINAL PRACTICES AND NATURAL PRACTICES. THEY HAVE SOME GOOD AND EVIL SPIRITS. THE MISSIONARIES PUT SHAME ON THEM. THEIR SHAMANS HELPED AS TEACHERS TO SUMMON GAME AND USE CURING RITUALS TO HEAL. SOME PEOPLE DISREGARD THE CHRISTIANITY BELIEFS.

TRANSITIONS WERE MARKED BY SECLUSIONS AND RITUALS. THEY HAVE SHODEWIKA FESTIVALS OR INTER VILLAGE DANCES. THEY COMBINE DANCING AND FEASTING WITH CHRISTIAN FEATURES.

THEY MAKE BASKETS, BEADWORK, FEATHERWORK AND BODY ORNAMENTATION. BEFORE THE MISSIONS, THE SHAMANS CURED ILLNESS THROUGH CONTACT WITH SPIRITS BY USING TOBACCO SMOKE AND SPIRIT STONES. THEY DO NOT HAVE AN EXTENSIVE PLANT LORE. THEY USE WESTERN MEDICINES WHENEVER THEY ARE INTRODUCED BY MISSIONARIES. THEY HAVE TRAINED HEALTH ATTENDANTS.

DEATH IS AN EXPLAINED SOUL LOSS CAUSED BY SPIRITS. THEIR PETS, POSSESSIONS, AND HOUSE ARE ALL DESTROYED BY THEIR RELATIVES. AT DEATH A PERSON TAKES ON SOME ANIMAL FORM THAT CAN BECOME A MENACING SPIRIT.

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