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- 5 May, 2023
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Indigenous tribes of the Peruvian jungle
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by Santa Maria
- 3 May, 2023
- Uncategorized
- 0
The native tribes of the Peruvian jungle are a proof that in the Amazon region there is not only a great biodiversity of unique animals and plants, but also different human groups that coexist with the environment and are mostly friendly to foreign visitors. Most of these tribes still conserve their hunting techniques and have also inherited from generation to generation the knowledge necessary to correctly use the medicinal plants of the peruvian jungle. This is indispensable for their survival as many of these human groups are quite far away from the big cities.
The Achuar tribe
The Achuar are a people located mainly in the north of the city of Loreto, very close to the Peruvian border with Ecuador. According to data obtained by the Ministry of Culture, this village has approximately 11653 inhabitants. The word Achuar has its origin in the name of large palm trees called Achu (Mauritia flexuosa for scientists) and these exist in the swamps that cover the Achuar territory. On the other hand, the word Shuar means people, hence the word "Achuar" which means "people of the Achu palm tree". However, the locals usually translate the word "Achuar" as "the men of the swamp".
The Aimara
The Aimara community has historically been settled in the area of three South American countries that border each other, namely Peru, Chile and Bolivia. In Peru, the Aimara population is distributed in six provinces of the department of Puno and also covers part of some rural districts in the areas of Moquegua and Tacna. However, the migratory process carried out by the rural population, which began in the middle of the 20th century, has led to the existence of a very significant number of Aimara inhabitants in the large cities of Lima, Arequipa and Tacna. The members of the Aimara community still keep alive their customs such as the worship to the Apus of Peru and the veneration of mother earth or pachamama as they call her.
The Amahuaca tribe
The Amahuaca tribe is located in the departments of Madre de Dios and Ucayali and according to some data collected by the Ministry of Culture, the population of the communities of the Amahuaca people is approximately 301 people, which is why they are closely monitored to prevent their disappearance.
Lesser-known native tribes of the Peruvian jungle
The Arabela tribe
The Arabela people are one of the few in Peru who speak a language belonging to the Záparo linguistic family and whose language has survived in Peru.
Although Spanish is the language most commonly used by the majority of the inhabitants of this tribe, many members of the Arabela community still speak the Záparo language and some variety of Kichwa, which is also known as Amazonian Quechua.
The Ashaninka tribe
The Ashaninka community is mainly located in the area between the eastern slopes of the Andean Cordillera and the upper Yurua. This tribe covers areas of the ecological floors, such as the high jungle and also part of the low jungle in the departments of Ucayali, Ayacucho, Pasco, Cusco and Huánuco. According to the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, the Ashaninka tribe has an estimated population of 99,000 people.
The Ashaninka people are also known as the "Ashaninka nation" due to their presence in different regions of Peru and Brazil. The people of this Peruvian jungle tribe are by nature hospitable and quite supportive, open to foreign visitors, however, if they feel threatened they become tenacious and unbending. For these people, the worst attitude is selfishness, as they always seek the collective good and find no reason not to support their brothers in the tribe and look out only for their own interests. Although they speak different dialects throughout the Ashaninka territory, they remain one nation, the great Ashaninka nation.
The Asheninka tribe
Their name is similar to the Ashaninka since they are actually Ashaninka, but due to the strong variation in the dialect they speak, they have been referred to as another tribe of the Peruvian jungle, changing only one letter in their name.
They have the same customs as the Ashaninka and some individuals can sometimes communicate in both dialects. They also share some beliefs with the Ashaninka due to their proximity to the Ashaninka people.
Nowadays, the Asheninka people are called the Asheninka people, who live mainly in the regions of Pasco and Ucayali. According to the Peruvian Ministry of Culture and its research, the number of individuals who are part of this tribe is estimated to be around 9000 people.
The Awajún tribe
This is one of the native tribes of the Peruvian jungle that is mainly located in the department of Amazonas, however, it can also be found in the north of other departments such as Loreto, San Martin and Cajamarca.
Ministry of Culture censuses estimate the total population of the Awajún at 62765 individuals, making it one of the largest in the Peruvian jungle.
The Bora
The Bora tribe is located in the department of Loreto, in the north-eastern part of the country, almost close to the border with Colombia. The Bora tribe is one of the best known in the Peruvian territory and attracts many foreigners for its unique customs and also for its history. Their total population is approximately 1300 individuals.
The Capanahua
The Capanahua people are distributed in the department of Loreto, inhabiting the banks of the Bancuya and Alto Tapiche rivers. According to data collected by the Ministry of Culture's census, its population only amounts to 588 people, making it one of the least populated in the region.
The Cashinahua
This tribe is mainly located in the department of Ucayali, being the territory adjacent to the Purús Communal Reserve the place they have inhabited for many centuries, inherited from their ancestors.
It has a population of approximately 2,400 people and is a tribe under constant observation by the Peruvian government due to its ancestral history.
As we have seen, there is a great variety of tribes in the Peruvian Amazon, but not all of them have a large number of inhabitants or are very popular with national or foreign visitors. There are some tribes that are smaller but just as amazing.
The Chamicuro tribe
The Chamicuro tribe extends mainly through the district of Tigre, which is located in the department of Loreto. The census carried out by the Ministry of Culture shows that the population of the Chamicuro tribe, Pampa Hermosa, is only about 63 people, quite low in comparison to the previous ones but of equal importance for their preservation and care.
The Chapra
The Chapra community lives in the districts of Pastaza and Morona, located in the province of Datem del Marañón, department of Loreto. This tribe has approximately 2240 inhabitants.
The Chitonahua
The Chitonahua community is still a mystery to be solved, as they are one of the few isolated peoples who have not yet had initial contact with Peruvian civilisation. They live in the dense Amazon located in the area of the Murunahua Territorial Reserve, in the department of Ucayali, according to some technical studies, since they have not been contacted or entered for a census. Their population is around 100 inhabitants.
That eja
This community is found inhabiting some areas of the department of Madre de Dios and according to data obtained by the Ministry of Culture, its population is approximately 600 inhabitants.
The Harakbut
The Harakbut community is located in the departments of Madre de Dios and Cuzco, more specifically between the Madre de Dios and Inambari rivers and its population is approximately 4188 people according to the last census carried out by the Ministry of Culture.
The Ikitu
The Ikitu people are located in the province known as Maynas, in the department of Loreto and have a population of approximately 500 people. This is also a small tribe but one that has much to offer to Peruvian history.
The Iñapari
The Iñapari are another Peruvian jungle tribe whose exact number is unknown. INEI has not been able to collect enough information on this community but it is known that its inhabitants are mainly located in the department of Madre de Dios, in the densest part of the jungle.
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