Oral 2

Yanomami

Are a group of approximately 35,000 indigenous people who live in some 200–250 villages in the Amazon rainforest on the border between Venezuela and Brazil.

The Yanomami live in villages usually consisting of their children and extended families.

the entire village lives under a common roof called the shabono.

They are susceptible to heavy damage from rains, winds, and insect infestation

The Yanomami depend on the rainforest; they use slash-and-burn horticulture, grow bananas, gather fruit, and hunt animals and fish.

Polygamous families consist of a large patrifocal family unit based on one man, and smaller matrifocal subfamilies

Children stay close to their mothers when young; most of the childrearing is done by women.

The women cultivate plantains and cassava in gardens as their main crops.

Men do the heavy work of clearing areas of forest for the gardens.

The Yanomami are among the few societies in the world to practice true polygamy.

Rituals are a very important part of Yanomami culture. The Yanomami celebrate a good harvest with a big feast, they gather large amounts of food.

They also decorate their bodies with feathers and flowers.

Girls typically get their periods between the ages of 10 and 12, and as soon as the period begins, girls are married off.

the Yanomami culture was described as being permeated with violence. The Yanomami people have a history of acting violently not only towards other tribes, but towards one another.

Yanomami frequently move to avoid areas that become overused, a practice known as shifting cultivation when the soil becomes exhausted.

The traditional Yanomami diet is very low in edible salt. For this reason, the Yanomami have been the subject of studies seeking to link hypertension

The Yanomami people practice ritual endocannibalism, in which they consume the bones of deceased kinsmen.

Hallucinogenic drugs, known as yekuana, are used by Yanomami shamans as part of healing rituals for members of community who are ill.

Women are expected to carry 70 to 80 pounds (32 to36k g) of crops on their backs during harvesting, using bark straps and woven baskets.

Boys typically become the responsibility of the male members of the community after about age 8.