Introduction
Today’s world population is highly integrated as a result of immigrations and widespread globalization. This has led to erosion of the cultural practices of the indigenous groups of people that previously occupied various regions of the world. This paper examines the Hoaurani people as one of the indigenous groups of people in terms of their original cultural practices. This will comprise their location, language, political and social organization, population estimates, and marriage patterns.
The Hourani
The Hourani is a group of American-Indian people who occupied the Amazon forest region. They are a unique group whose language and pottery have no link to any of the groups that shared the same neighborhood with them. Their main economic activities are hunting and gathering, they are well known as brave warriors who can adjust to their setting with ease. The Hourani are also known as Aucas; a term which means “the people of the jungle” (Schweitzer 51)
Since a higher percentage of the population were fearless warriors, the Hourani are war-like people. They lived in inaccessible parts of the forest and it was rather easier for them to marshal their troops for attacks against other groups. Their marriage pattern was mostly polygamy and monogamy, though a few of them practiced polyandry. Besides hunting and gathering, the Hourani also grew Manioc which they mostly fermented to make “Tepae”- a favorite meal for breakfast (Schweitzer 45).
The Hoaurani’s Lifestyle
The Hourani use a lance as their main weapon mainly for hunting and in war. The main animals hunted by the Hourani for food include; wild pigs and monkeys. Darts though not their major weapon are used for hunting birds and monkeys, “the darts are usually coated with poison to kill the prey with ease” (Kunstaetter and Kunstaetter 23). Mostly their food contents are “rich in proteins,” they exercise quite often as most of their daily activities involve running either after animals in hunting sprees or fighting in wars (Kane 62).
Their earlobes according to Rodrigo Sierra, et al are normally pierced and a “wooden disk kept in the hole to keep the hole large” (108). Both adult men and women walk around naked except for a small cotton cord which they tie around their waists to hide their private parts. The cotton cord is also believed to be a “source of power and energy” (Rival 26). For the men, the cotton cord also referred to as “Komi” is also used to keep the penis in an erect position.
An average family unit of the Hoaurani ranges from ten to fifteen members, all living in a single dwelling unit called the Onka (Margaret 38). The Onka is a temporary shelter erected by posts and the roof covered by palms. The shelter does not sufficiently protect them from the heavy rains that are characteristic of the amazon forests. They usually light the fire in the shelter throughout the night to keep them warm from the cold during rainy seasons (Bates 89). The fire is also used as a source of light at night and also keeps insects such as mosquitoes away.
The Hourani social lifestyle is characterized by the defined roles of men and women. Men mostly go out to hunt and gather and protect their families against attacks from enemies. Women on the other hand are responsible for preparing food for the family and making gardens. Women also take care of young children especially when the men are out on hunting sprees.
Conclusion
The Hourani group has been facing many challenges especially resulting from modernization which has led to massive exploitation of the forests to create land for cultivation and timber harvesting. The group’s current population is estimated to be around “1300 people mostly occupying mostly regions that were formerly protectorates.”
Works Cited
Bates, Daniel. Human Ecology: Contemporary Research and Practice. New York: Springer, 2010.
Kane, Joe. Savages. New York: Vintage Books, 1996.
Kunstaetter, Daisy and Kunstaetter, Robert.Ecuador & Galápagos handbook. New York: Footprint Travel Guides, 2003.
Margaret Franzen “Evaluating the Sustainability of Hunting: a Comparison of Harvest Profiles Across three Hoaurani Communities”33.1(2006):36-45.
Rival, Laura. Trekking through history: the Huaorani of Amazonian Ecuador. New York: Colombian University Press, 2002.
Rodrigo Sierra, etal., “Forest resource use change during early market integration in tropical rain forests: the Huaorani of upper Amazonia, Ecological Economics,” Elsevier 30.1(1999):107- 119. Web.
Schweitzer, Peter. Hunters and Gatherers in the Modern World: Conflict, Resistance, and Self-Determination. New York: Berghahn Books, 2000.