Bribrí

Bribrí, Indians of the tropical forests of eastern Costa Rica, closely associated with the Talamancan peoples of Panama and also with the Guaymí. Their language belongs to the Chibchan family. The Bribrí are agriculturists, growing traditional staples such as corn (maize), beans, and sweet manioc (yuca), planted with the digging stick. They also hunt, fish, gather wild foods, and keep poultry and occasionally cattle. They live in small communities of single-family houses, often scattered over farmland; their houses may be conical, square, rectangular, or pyramidal, built of poles with thatched roofs coming down to the ground. Their crafts include pottery, basketry, netting, and rope making; cotton weaving is no longer done. The Bribrí’s government and religion are both in states of transition from aboriginal to European types. Early 21st-century population estimates of the Bribrí range from approximately 7,000 to more than 12,000 individuals.