Tucano people
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tucano are a group of indigenous South Americans living in the northwestern Amazon, along the Vaupés river and the surrounding area. They are present in both Colombia and Brazil, although most live on the Colombian side of the border. They are usually described as being made up of many separate tribes, although the appellation is somewhat problematic due to the complex social and linguistic structure of the region.
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[edit] Descent Groups
The Tucano practice exogamy. Members of a linguistic descent group marry outside their own linguistic descent group. As a result, it is normal for Tucano people to speak two, three or more Tucanoan languages, and any Tucano household (longhouse) is likely to be host to numerous languages. The descent groups (sometimes referred to as tribes) all have their accompanying language, some of the most well known are listed below.
- Bara
- Barasana
- Cubeo (the Cubeo do not practice exogamy)
- Desana
- Macuna
- Tucano (or Tucano Proper)
[edit] Subsistence Activities
The Tucano are swidden horticulturalists, growing manioc and other staples in forest clearings. They also hunt, trap, fish and forage wild plants and animals.
[edit] Books
- Jackson, Jean E. - The Fish People - Linguistic Exogamy and Tukanoan Identity in Northwest Amazonia (1983) (ISBN 0-521-27822-8)
- Reichel-Dolmatoff, Gerardo - Rainforest Shamans: Essays on the Tukano Indians of the Northwest Amazon (ISBN 0-9527302-4-3)
