Where are the Jivaro tribe?
The Jivaroan peoples are the indigenous peoples in the headwaters of the Marañon River and its tributaries, in northern Peru and eastern Ecuador. They speak one of the language family of the same name.
Are there headhunters in Ecuador?
Culture. The practice of headhunting can be found in cultures worldwide, but only one ethnic group has been known to perform the tsantsa—the practice of shrinking heads. The Jivaro clan, who inhabited the Ecuadorian Amazon, are known for the ancient practice of tsantsa.
How do the Jivaro shrunken heads?
Head shrinking is a ceremonious practice exclusive to the Jivaro Indians who live in Ecuador in the nearby Peruvian Amazon. It literally involves severing a regular-sized human skull and miniaturizing it, shrinking it several times down from its original size. Shrunken head compared with a normal human skull.
How did they make real shrunken heads?
The shrunken heads, or tsantsas, were made by the Shuar and Achuar people who live in the rainforests of Ecuador and Peru. They were created by peeling back the skin and hair of a human skull of a dead male enemy, with the bones, brain and other matter being discarded.
Who are the Aguaruna?
The Aguaruna (or Awajún, their endonym) are an indigenous people of the Peruvian jungle. They live primarily on the Marañón River in northern Peru near the border with Ecuador and several of the Marañón’s tributaries, the rivers Santiago, Nieva, Cenepa, Numpatakay and Chiriaco.
What is the Jivaroan tribe known for?
Jivaroan peoples. Jivaroan peoples refers to groups of indigenous peoples in the headwaters of the Marañon River and its tributaries, in northern Peru and eastern Ecuador. They speak one of the language family of the same name. The Jivaro people are famous for their head-hunting raids and shrinking the heads.
What is the population of the Jivaro?
The Jivaro are mainly concentrated in Ecuador. Current estimates place the population at approximately 10,000 to 30,000 people. The Jivaro speak Jivaroan, which has many dialects. Many Jivaro now also speak the Quechua language, which is spoken throughout the Andes region.
Is Jivaro gardening “as fraught with uncertainty as hunting”?
Despite the reliable, elaborate system of horticultural development the Jivaro have developed, they still believe the act to be “…as fraught with uncertainty as hunting” as Michael Brown stated in a paper titled, “Aguaruna Jivaro Gardening Magic in Alto Rio Mayo, Peru.”