The Yanomami tribe of the Amazons

Yanomami tribe, is a South American native-Indian tribe. They live in the remote forests of the Orinoco River basin in southern Venezuela and the northernmost reaches of the Amazon River basin in northern Brazil.

 They number just around 35,000 individuals, settled in around 200-250 villages in the Amazon rainforest and are in constant danger of exploitation by the greedy Gold-miners.

Outsiders especially from the industrial-corporate world, have been exploiting the forest resources which are considered sacred for the tribal communities. Exploitive mining activites have resulted in the formation of craters which hampers the wildlife & also acts as breeding ground for mosquitoes, resulting in high number of Malaria deaths in the tribal community. Also the smuggled foreign liquors & drugs is causing a menace for the tribal community especially among the youths. Recently, the death of a Yanomami individual by Covid-19 is another such case.

Traditionally, the Yanomamis live in large circular communal houses called ‘yano’ or ‘shabono’, which can accommodate up to 400 people.

The central zone is used for community activities such as rituals, parties and games. Each family has their own bonfire where they prepare and cook food during the day. At night they hang the hammocks near the fire.

Yanomami live in small, scattered, semi permanent villages and speak the Xirianá language.

They practice hunting and slash-and-burn agriculture.

Recently, a Brazilian indigenous leader Davi Kopenawa, also known as the ‘Dala Lama of the Rainforest’ who secured the land rights of the Yanomami people was awarded the Right Livelihood Award-2019, also known as Sweden’s alternative Nobel Prize.