In the age of asphalt, concrete and computer technology, we think little about the fact that there are entire civilizations that are developing in parallel with ours. They have no idea about phenomena such as the economic crisis, but they are familiar with the effects of floods or droughts. They do not know how to use calendars, but at the same time they know about the stars and phases of the moon.
The wild tribes of the Amazon, and it is about them in question, gradually disappear under the pressure of civilization, but by some miracle they managed to maintain their original culture. And the most amazing thing is that many small Indian groups have absolutely unique traditions that are not similar to those of their closest neighbors.
Amazonia tribes: small nations with a rich past
To date, the presence of several dozen small wild tribes that live in isolation from each other in the most remote corners of the jungle is officially registered in the Amazon Delta.
Scientists began to study the life of Amazonian tribes not so long ago, but it is now clear that the number of such groups is rapidly declining. For example, the Sinta Larga tribe 100 years ago totaled more than 5000 members, but today their number barely reaches 1500 people.
Another group of Amazonians is known worldwide as bora bora. The history of this tribe also goes back centuries. Despite constant interaction with the civilized world in the person of tourists and scientists, its members continue to strictly observe their traditions and customs.
It is worth noting that almost all tribes on the Amazon River , including the Bora Bora, are happy to host “white” guests. However, few Aboriginal people are seduced by life in cities, preferring dense thickets of the jungle and infinite freedom from the prejudices that are characteristic of modern man.
Everyday life in the tribe, Aboriginal occupations
The wild tribes of the Amazon and Africa are very similar in lifestyle in that their daily activities are based on meeting basic human needs: nutrition and procreation. The main occupation of women in them is gathering, manufacturing of clothing, household utensils and caring for the younger generation. Men are mainly engaged in hunting, fishing, and manufacturing the simplest tools and weapons.
The wild tribes of the Amazon, despite their isolation from each other, have much in common. For example, many use bows and blowguns with poisoned arrows when hunting. At the same time, one tribe uses only one type of weapon. In addition, many groups of Aboriginal people who have never met each other make pottery, beads, and clothing similar in shape. Leisure in the tribes of Amazonia never goes aimlessly. Even ordinary dances carry a special ritualistic meaning.
Customs, Beliefs, and Traditions of the Amazonian Wild Tribes
From the moment scientists established contact with some tribes on the Amazon, attempts were made to understand the essence of their faith and to find something in common between the beliefs of the tribes. Then it was found out that the wild Amazon tribes begin to believe in monotheism with great difficulty, and more often perceive information about Jesus, for example, as a beautiful fairy tale. They understand the world of spirits, good or evil - it does not matter. Literally every creature and plant in them is identified with some kind of deity that affects their existence.
Each tribe has its own unique customs: some with the advent of a new period in their lives (puberty, creating a family, having a baby, etc.) change their names, others do not even undertake everyday work without the “blessing” of a tribal shaman, but still others eat their own kind. Of course, such a thing as cannibalism is very rare today, as many wild tribes of the Amazon have refused it. To date, there is only one tribe of cannibals that still raids the small villages of the natives - Korubo.
Amazonian woman: what is beauty?
Beauty in the concept of the Amazonian Indians is not at all what most civilized people imagine. Almost every tribe has its own distinctive features, which are especially visible in women. The body painting with colored clay is ubiquitous. The color of the inhabitants of the village depends on which deposits are located in the immediate vicinity of the tribe's place of residence. While some natives paint their bodies with white stripes and curls, others prefer to decorate their bodies with black, red or yellow designs.
Sometimes the “beauty” of a native woman can cause shock, since in the view of a particular tribe it consists in an excessively long neck or an clay plate inserted into the incision of the lower lip. In a civilized society, relief tattoos, piercings, full or partial shaving of hair on the head, and brushing of hair braided into braids by clay are considered to be slightly more acceptable.
Communication of tribes with the outside world
Despite the recent isolation and lack of contact with the outside world, Amazonians in most cases willingly make contact with tourists. Sometimes this becomes the only way for them to survive, because photographs, attendance at a ceremony or consultations with a shaman are well paid.