SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 134 THE NATIVE TRIBES OF EASTERN BOLIVIA AND WESTERN MATTO GROSSO By ALFRED METRAUX SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 134 THE NATIVE TRIBES OF EASTERN BOLIVIA AND WESTERN MATTO GROSSO By ALFRED METRAUX UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1942 For eale by the Superintendent of Documents, Waebinston, D. C. .....• Price 35 cents Digitalizado pelo Internet Archive: http://www.archive.org/details/bulletin1341942smit Este arquivo está disponível na Biblioteca Digital Curt Nimuendaju: http://biblio.etnolinguistica.org/metraux_1942_native 3 LETTEK OF TRANSMITTAL Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology, Washington^ D. G.^ June 1, 1941. Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript entitled "The Native Tribes of Eastern Bolivia and Western Matto Grosso," by Alfred Metraux, and to recommend that it be published as a bulletin of the Bureau of American Ethnology. Very respectfully yours, M. W. Stirling, Chief. Dr. C. G. Abbot, /Secretary of the /Smithsonian Institution. CONTENTS PAGE Introduction 1 Yurakare 4 Tribal divisions and history 4 Subsistence 5 Houses 7 Dress and adornments 7 Transportation 7 Manufactures 8 Political organization 9 Life cycle 9 Esthetic and recreational activities 11 Religion 12 Social control and etiquette 14 References 15 Moseten and Chiman 15 Tribal divisions and history 15 Subsistence 19 Houses 20 Dress and adornments 21 Transportation 21 Manufactures 22 Social organization 24 Life cycle 24 Religion 24 Mythology and literature 26 Esthetic and recreational activities 27 References 27 Leko 27 References 29 Apolista , or Lapacu 29 References 30 The Takanan-speaking peoples 30 Tribal divisions 30 History 33 Subsistence 34 Houses and villages 37 Dress and adornments 37 Transportation 38 Manufactures 38 Social and political organization 39 Life cycle 40 Esthetic and recreational activities 41 Religion 42 References 45 V VI CONTENTS The Southern Panoans -- 45 The Southeastern Panoans 45 Tribal divisions and history 45 Subsistence 46 Villages and houses 47 Clothing 47 Transportation 48 Manufactures 48 Social customs 49 Religious customs 50 The Southwestern Panoans 50 Tribal divisions and history 50 Subsistence 50 Houses 51 Dress and adornments 51 Transportation 52 Manufactures 52 Political organization 53 Illness and death 53 Musical instruments 53 References 53 The Mojo and Baur6 53 Tribal divisions 53 History 56 Subsistence 58 Houses 63 Dress and adornments 64 Transportation 66 Manufactures 66 Social organization 69 Life cycle 70 Esthetic and recreational activities 71 Religion 74 Shamanism 76 Etiquette 78 Commercial relations 78 Unclassified tribes of the Province of Mojos 79 References 80 Kanichana 80 References 81 M6vima 81 References 82 Kayu vava 82 References 83 Itonama 83 References 85 Chapakuran tribes of the Guapor6 River Basin 86 Tribal divisions and history 86 Subsistence 88 Villages and houses 89 Dress and adornments 89 Transportation 90 CONTENTS Vn Chapakuran tribes of the Guapore River Basin—Continued. page Manufactures 90 Social organization 92 Life cycle 92 Esthetic and recreational activities 93 Shaman ism 94 Mythology and learning 95 References 95 Guarayu and Pauserna 95 Tribal divisions and history 95 Subsistence 100 Houses 101 Dress and adornments 101 Transportation 102 Man ufactures 102 Political and social organization 104 Life cycle 104 Cann ibal ism 106 Esthetic and recreational activities 106 Religion 107 Mythology 108 Literature 109 Lore and learning 110 Etiquette 110 References 110 Siriono 110 Tribal divisions and history 110 Subsistence 111 Clothing 112 Houses 112 Transportation 112 Manufactures 112 Life cycle 113 Religion 113 Esthetic and recreational activities 114 References 114 The Chiquito and other tribes of the Province of Chiquitos 114 The linquistic families of the Province of Chiquitos 114 The Chiquitoan linquistic stock and its dialects 115 References 116 The conquest of Chiquitos 116 The ethnography of the Chiquitos region according to the sixteenth century Spanish chroniclers 119 Indians of the Upper Paraguay around Port of Los Reyes 119 Tribes between Port of Los Reyes and the Lake of Xarayes 120 Tribes of the region of Xarayes (17°-16° S. lat.) 120 Indian tribes between the Upper Paraguay and the Upper Guapay, or Rio Grande 121 Population 123 References 123 The ethnography of the Chiquitos region according to the Jesuit sources 123 Chiqu ito culture 124 References 127 Vm CONTENTS The Chiquito and other tribes of the Provmce of Chiquitos—Con. page Manasi 127 References 133 Churapa -_ 133 References 134 Arawakan tribes: Saraveka, Paikoneka, and Chane 134 References ^^--^^--. 135 Otukean 135 References 136 Tribes of unidentified language, presumably Otukean 136 Guato 136 Archeology 136 History 137 Subsistence 137 Houses 1 38 Clothing 138 Boats 139 Manufactures 139 Social and political organization 140 Esthetic and recreational activities 141 Warfare 1*2 Religion 142 References 142 Cariba n Palmela 142 The tribes of the Upper Guapor6 River 143 Tribal divisions 143 Subsistence __. 143 Houses 144 Dress and adornments 144 Transportation 145 Manufactures 145 Social organization 146 Life cycle 147 Cannibalism 148 Esthetic and recreational activities 148 Religion 150 Mythology 151 Folklore 152 Unknown tribes of the Guapor6 Basin 152 References 153 Nambikudra 153 Tribal divisions and history 153 Subsistence 154 Houses 155 Clothing 156 Transportation 156 Manufactures 156 Social organization 157 Life cycle 157 Rehgion 157 Medicine 157 Narcotics 158 Esthetic and recreational activities 158 References 158 CONTENTS IX PAGE Chapakuran tribes of the Madeira River Basin 158 References 160 Paressf 160 History 160 Tribal divisions 161 Subsistence 161 Houses 162 Dress 163 Transportation 164 Manufactures 164 Social organization 165 Life cycle 166 Esthetic and recreational activities 166 Religion 168 Mythology 169 Lore and learning 170 Literature 170 References 170 Bibliography 171 ILLUSTRATIONS PLATES PAGE 1. 1, Combat between Yurakare Indians, Bolivia. (After D'Orbigny.) 2, Thatched house and dance of Yurakare Indians, Bolivia. (After D'Orbigny.) 182 2. 1, Costumes of Guarayd Indians, Bolivia. (After D'Orbigny.) 2, In- dians of the Province of Chiquitos, Bolivia. (After D'Orbigny.) _ 182 3. 1, Fishing with the C6vo, Mojo Indians. (After Keller-Leuzinger.) 2, Mojo Indian, from the ancient mission of Trinidad, dancing before the altar on a Holy Day. (After Keller-Leuzinger.) 182 4. 1, Mojo Indian playing panpipe and wearing a net with jingles. (After Eder.) 2, Mojo Indian. (After Eder.) 182 5. 1, Tiboita Indian spear thrower of the region of Mojos, showing cranial deformation. (After Eder.) 2, Costumes of the Mojo Indians. (After D'Orbigny.) 182 TEXT FIGURES 1. Map of Eastern Bolivia and Western Matto Grosso (folder) 2 ; THE NATIVE TRIBES OF EASTERN BOLIVIA AND WESTERN MATTO GROSSO By Alfred Metraux INTRODUCTION While reviewing all available anthropological literature on the native tribes of eastern Bolivia and western Matto Grosso for a sum- mary article for the Handbook of South American Indians, which is being prepared for the Smithsonian Institution, I became aware that the extent of the data on these tribes would exceed the possible limits of the Handbook article. As much of the literature is in- accessible to research workers, several of the main sources being bibliographical rarities that are obtainable only in a few libraries, such as the Library of Yale University or the Library of Congress, and as the material had been assembled while preparing the sum- mary for the Handbook, it was obvious that it would be of great value to South American ethnology to condense in a single mono- graph everything which has been written on these Indians from the sixteenth century to the present day. Such a compilation is justified by the importance of the region and by the difficulty which anyone not having access to a large library would have in obtaining an idea of the ethnography of the area. For more than a century eastern Bolivia was the mythical "Tierra Rica" or "Eldorado" of which the Spanish conquerors dreamed. Today it may still be the Eldorado of anthropologists. Like aborig- inal California, the region is peculiar in possessing an unusually large number of linguistic stocks. Within an area roughly bounded by the Cordillera, the Paraguay River, the Gran Chaco, and the upper Madeira River, we find the following linguistic groups: Twpi- Guarani, Arawakan, Cariban, Takanan^ Panoan^ Chapakuran^ Ito- naman, Kayuvavan, Mosefenean, Lekoan, Yurakarean, Chiquiioan, Otukean, as weU as several languages of the upper Guapore River that are not yet classified, such as Huari, Guaratdgaja, Amniapa, etc. None of these languages has been recorded by a trained linguist some are known only through short word lists. 1 2 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. i34 In addition to the multiplicity of tribes, the varying lengths of the period of ^Vhite contact with these peoples should make eastern Bolivia a land of promise for anthropological studies in accultura- tion. Some of the Indians came in touch with Spaniards during the first years of the conquest; many were subjected for more than 70 years to Jesuit rule and influence; some tribes did not have any contact with the Whites until the rubber boom; others even main- tain their independence today and are among the few natives of South America who still live as they did before the arrival of the Whites. In some cases, certain individuals