Warriors of the Amazon :: Yanomami Tribe

In the Amazon between Venezuela and Brazil, there is a folks of native race known as the Yanomami. The Yanomami ar an ancient people who be relatively unaffected by the civilizations and technology of today. They are a culture of hunting and gathering. The men are warriors that help to defend the ethnic music from other tribes, hunt for meat, and attack opposing tribes. The women stay home and cook, terminate the children. Many people stay in the shibono, or community complex. The children are raised for a rough life, to be warriors. They learn that every spot suffered must be repaid. Men are the powerful gender, with all the rights. The relationships created by having in-laws are the basis for their power. If a favor is granted, it must be returned. A person is always supposed to be loyal to their family connections. A shaman is appointed to be the head of the tribe. Spi rituality is a very important, cursory thing. The tribe is constantly at war with demons. There are rit ual hallucinogens that are used for contact with spirits and the spirit world. The spirits mark events in life which the shaman attempt to harness. The shaman gains the powers of these spirits by going to the spirit world, and he uses these to gift curses on enemy shamans and regain tribe members from the vices of demons. Diseases and illnesses are causes by the demons and as such can totally be heal by spiritual power.When someone dies their bones are burned and crushed into ash and consumed by the relatives. It puts a persons soul at peace to find a resting place within their family, it would be an evil to bury them in the ground. Once this ceremony is finished the person is gone. Their represent or person is never to be mentioned again.Enemy tribes fight and put curses on each other. To become allies again they must trading and negotiate. Then, the tribes combine together with a large peace celebration. They conduct a dance in ceremonial dress and test each others strength .