Yanomami tribe

4NT Topic homework

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The Yanomami Tribe

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Who are the Yanomami?
How do the Yanomami live?
What are the threats to their lifestyle?
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The Yanomami are a group of Amazonian Indians who
live in the rainforest.

The Yanomami have tried to maintain a traditional,
nomadic way of life. Their population currently stands
at 9,000.
The Yanomami
Nomadic means ‘moves from place to place’.

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The Yanomami live in ‘yanos’ which are large, communal
dwellings made of tree trunks and thatches of palm leaves.
Between ten and twenty families live in a yano. Each family
has its own section and fire. These dwellings are only
temporary and over a period of time they become infested
by cockroaches and bats.
The Yanomami

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The Yanomami are semi-nomadic. They build their yanos
near suitable land for growing plants. The forest provides
firewood, nuts, berries and animals to hunt. The
Yanomami hunt, gather, fish and farm the land for five to
ten years and then move onto another area.
The Yanomami

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The Yanomani live in harmony with the rainforest and
leave virtually no impact on the ecosystem.
It is a SUSTAINABLE way of life.
That means they respect the Rainforest and never take
more than they need.

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Who are the Yanomami?
How do the Yanomami live?
What are the threats to their lifestyle?
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Yanomami boys are taught to hunt while Yanomami girls
are taught to grow crops and cook.
Yanomami facts!
Yanomami children work (hunt, learn about growing crop)
for 4 hours per day. In their spare time they enjoy
activities such as swimming and dancing.

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Yanomami wear few clothes but instead use paint and
beads to decorate their bodies. This paint helps repel flies
and mosquitos.
The Yanomami use plants with medicinal properties
found in the rainforest.
Quinine was discovered in the Amazon.
It is an anti-malaria drug from the bitter bark of the
cinchona tree.
Yanomami facts!

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Who are the Yanomami?
What is shifting cultivation?
How do the Yanomami live?
What are the threats to their lifestyle?
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The Yanomami’s land is rich in minerals and resources.
Since 1987 their land has been destroyed by loggers
and garimpeiros (illegal gold miners).
Due to this contact with the outside world, 1,500
Yanomami Indians have died from Western diseases
their bodies don’t know how to fight and they have no
medicines to treat them.
However, disease is not the only threat. Newcomers
scare off the wild animals the Yanomami hunt with
noise from vehicles and machinery. They also poison
the rivers with mercury, which is used to purify the gold.
Yanomami Indians - threats

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In May 1992, the Brazilian Government recognised the
Yanomani’s rights to the land by creating a Yanomami
Park. This protects the tribes from further invasions and
the 40,000 garimpeiros living in this area have been forced
to move. The government sent in the army to destroy the
airstrips that were used to supply the gold mines. Less
than 2,000 garimpeiros now remain in the Park.

Yanomami Park

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Compare your lifestyle with the Yanomami’s.

Think of similarities as well as differences.
Use the next two slides to gain more
information on the Yanomami.
My Lifestyle Yanomami’s lifestyle
Home
School
Food
Clothes
Yanomami Lifestyle