Yaruro

Yaruro, South American Indian people inhabiting the tributaries of the Orinoco River in Venezuela. Their language, also called Yaruro, is a member of the Macro-Chibchan linguistic group.

The Yaruro differ from the typical agriculturists and hunters of the savannas of the region in that their life centres on the river. Crocodiles, manatees, turtles, and the eggs of these animals provide their basic foods. Fish are hunted in canoes and killed with bow and arrow. The Yaruro do not hunt the caiman, the tonina, or the howling monkey because they believe that these creatures are relatives of mankind. They make pottery, basketry, and netting.

The basic social unit of the Yaruro is the extended family consisting of the headman, his sons, their wives, and unmarried children. There are also two matrilineal groups or moieties; the members of each group take spouses from the other. The Yaruro believe in a moon goddess, who created the world, and other gods and spirits. Communication with gods and ancestors is through shamans, who may be either male or female and whose main function is to treat sickness.