Baniwa

For other uses, see Baniwa (disambiguation).

Baniwa

Walimanai
Baniwa School at the Içana River
Total population
17,646 (2014)
Regions with significant populations
Brazil (Amazonas) 7,145 (2014)
Colombia 7,000 (2000)
Venezuela (Amazonas) 3,501 (2011)
Languages
Baniwa, Portuguese
Religion
Traditional tribal religion
Related ethnic groups
Kuripako people

Baniwa (also known with local variants as Baniva, Baniua, Curipaco, Vaniva, Walimanai, Wakuenai) are indigenous South Americans, who speak the Baniwa language belonging to the Maipurean (Arawak) language family. They live in the Amazon Region, in the border area of Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela and along the Rio Negro and its tributaries.

There are an estimated 7,145 Baniwa in Brazil, 7,000 in Colombia and 3,501 in Venezuela's Amazonas State, according to Brazil's Instituto Socioambiental, but accurate figures are almost impossible to come by given the nature of the rainforest.

The Baniwa people rely mainly on manioc cultivation and fishing for subsistence. They are also known for the fine basketry that they skillfully produce.

See also

• Baniwa language, Curripako language
• Indigenous peoples in Brazil
• Indigenous peoples in Colombia
• Indigenous peoples in Venezuela

Further reading

• Robin Wright 1998 - Cosmos, Self and History in Baniwa Religion: For Those Unborn
• Theodor Koch-Grunberg 1909 - Zwei Jahre unter den Indianern: reisen in nordwest-brasilien 1903-1905("Two years among the Indians")