People of the Rainforests

    Tropical rainforests are exploding with life. Not only do they have millions of species of plants and animals living in the rainforests, but also many people call the rainforests their home.

          In fact Indigenous, or native, people have lived in the rainforests for thousands of years.

           Although may Indigenous people live much like we do, some still live as their ancestors did many years ago. These people live their daily lives differently then our culture. Everything they need, from food to clothing, medicines and places to live all come from the forest.

          In different areas of the rainforest there are different cultures. Each of theses groups of people has their own way of life their own traditions.

           The rainforests is home to more then 50 million Indigenous people. Some of the people of rainforests survive by hunting and gathering. They hunt for wild animals and gather fruit and seeds for other food. Other tribes are known to clear patches of forest to grow their crops. They use the forest for their everyday lives, for medicines, food, and housing.

          The people of the rainforest try to use the rainforest sustainable, which means that the forest provides their everyday needs without destroying it.

        There are many different tribes that live in the rainforests of the world. One such tribe is the Yanomami Tribe which lives in the Amazon These people where discovered by the outside world in 1950. Since then contact has brought on disease and forest clearance which has reduced their numbers. Yanomami people gather fruit and hunt animals. A major source of food for the Yanomami is Plantains, which is a type of banana.

Some Yanomami people have gardens. These look like a mess of tangled plants, but are very carefully planned. In each garden a few trees are cut down to let the sunlight reach the forest floor. They are then burnt and the ash is put into the soil to help provide fertilizer. They do grow plants that provide poison so that they can use it for their arrows when hunting. These gardens are left to grow and are then harvested. These areas are then left and the people move on to other areas to plot allowing the soil to regain it nutrients. This is how they keep the forest sustainable.

   The Tukano Tribe is a tribe that is made up of a number of different groups. They group together to form one big tribe. They live in North West Brazil. These people are very small but very strong. The men are named after birds of the forest while the women are named after plants. Their houses are called malacas. They are made from palm leaves, small trees, and the bark of trees.

 

       The Maroons are found in the African rainforests. These people are descendents of escaped slaves. They have regained their tribal way of life and have built villages along the rivers. Each village may be different then the other with their own traditions and customs.

 Their major means of transportation is the Korjaal pictured here. These people have regained their African tribal ways of life.

   Here is a picture of a fertility god of the Saramakaners, who live along the Suriname River. The eyes of the god are the beans of a tree called Ormosia Spes. You’ll find the tree in Maroon as well an Indian village. The bean is also used to make necklaces and other things.

   One of the larger settlements is on the mouth of the River marowijne. This place is called Calibi, after an older French name for Caribs. In there own language they call themselves Kali`na, and the place Galibi is called Kupali Yumi, “The Tree of the Forefathers”.

   These people live in houses that stand well separated, in a long row along the river. The people in this region are still mostly self-supporting: providing their own tools, food, and clothing and whatever other needs they have.

          Now they have adapted some of our culture. Some people are now strong Catholics, and their children go to school.

          Their main occupation is fishing, they formed a co-operative business, and they sell the surplus catch in town.

 They also make clay pots, using different types of clay. As you can see from this picture all the pots they make are made by hand. They do not us a wheel. They are completely handmade.

 Here is a look at part of a marriage ceremony in Galibi. They do a lot of dancing at their ceremonies. Also their whole village attends the marriage ceremony. This picture shows a stately row dance to the rhythm of a large drum, which could be heard for miles.

      This was just a little bit about some of the tribes of people that can be found in the rainforests. These are the people that are having there homes destroyed by the destruction of the rainforests. Why should these people have to give up there land and homes to companies just so they can make money! The answer they shouldn't have to. This is another important reason why we should get involved in helping to save the rainforests. Would we want people destroying our homes, taking our land, our way of life from us? Think about that the next time you throw a piece of paper away just because it is wrinkled.