TICUNAof the Amazon Rain Forest

Ticuna, (Tukuna or Tikuna) are one of the first major tribes of the Amazon to be contacted by the early Spanish explorers and one of the last large native population groups left in Brazil.

Introduction

LAND The Ticuna live in the Brazilian Amazon rain forest

near the borders of Peru and Colombia About 70 Ticuna villages are in the Alto Solimones,

in the area of the rivers Santo Antonio do Ica and Solimones

There are a few Ticunas in Colombia

They are the most numerous tribe in Brazilian Amazon

32,613 in Brazil 8,000 in Peru and 8000 in Columbia

POPULATION

Tropical Frequent Rain with no cold weather Warm during the day(80-90 degrees) Night(50 degrees) Wet part of the year is January-April Dry part of the year is June-November

CLIMATE

Fish caught from the riverHunted wild animalsMilk from cattle'sFruits from the jungle -the most common

fruits in the Ticuna villages are: mapati , umari, inga, abiu, Brazil nut, pupunha, cupuacu, sapota and assai

FOOD

Tïcuna - which is also known as Magta, Maguta, Tucuna/Tukuna, and Tukna

Not Portuguese

LANGUAGE

MALOCAMost Tikunas live in large hut called Malocas made with all natural materials. The structure looks simple but it is designed according to the traditional  mythological beliefs.This "Long House” can be a residence or a ceremonial center for Ticunas.It represents, an anaconda-whose mouth faces the river represented by the door of the men; the opposite end of the Maloca represents its tail placed over the door of the women.

ANIMALS

tapir

PLANTS Castor beans The most planted crops:

sweet and bitter manioc, banana, pineapple, sugarcane and yam, maize and watermelon during the dry season (summer)

They also gather the forest products, as wax, rubber, gum, and sarsaparilla, for sale to the tradersMatis is used as medicine.

They get their water from the Amazon river, the largest river in the world.

WATER

Ticuna people wear traditional clothing which is made from yanchamas- bark cloth.

Bark cloth is a natural fiber, first they beat the stripped bark with wood to give it greater strength and consistency. Next procedure is providing continuous moist, stretch and dry the bark until it becomes soft and smooth. They also make masks and dolls with this fabric and used for painting on it as well.

They also use straw skirts, feathers.

CLOTHING

BARKCLOTH

Natural and like paper fabric (yanchama)Tikuna use the bark of aFicus tree

Ticuna believes in spirits and after life. When a Ticuna dies, she is buried in a canoe that has a top

carved for it. The canoe will cross the river of death. In the canoe are the things she will need in the afterlife (earthen jars with food, in the case of a warrior- broken weapons).

During the funeral there is a ceremony in which the members of the tribe dance with masks that are carved to represent all the birds and animals that the dead person will want to hunt in the next life.

Beliefs

The Ticuna are a very artistic tribe whose talents include basketry, wood and stone sculpture, and mask making. They are one of the few Amazon tribes that paint just for the worth of the painting, as opposed to painting as decoration on objects.

They like drawings of animals like jaguars, turtles, snakes, butterflies, Caymans, birds, fishes (etc) in their artifacts.

Ticunas display their art on surfaces like shelter walls, masks and shields, bow and arrow.

The inner bark of trees, leaves or leaves are the basic raw material used for art.

They are one of the few Amazon tribes that paint just for the worth of the painting itself as opposed to painting as decoration on a utilitarian object.

Artifacts

Painting

With the help of plant brushes and dyes from the fruit of "morado“ they produce paintings on a bark cloth.

Making dolls

These dolls are made of tree bark using vegetable dyes and palm fiber threads. Each doll is unique and shows wildlife on them.

Weaving

Woven Baskets handmade by plant fiber

Used for carrying or storing food

MASKSThe mask is made of hand carved bark cloth. Both the wood and the bark cloth are decorated with natural vegetable paints. During the funeral there is a ceremony in which the members of the tribe dance with masks that are carved to represent all the birds and animals that the dead person will want to hunt in the next life.

Ceremonies

On several occasions and rituals Ticuna wear ceremonial costumes of bark cloth, feathers, etc and paint their bodies blue with a vegetable dye called "huito". They dance and sing the chants learned from their ancestors.

Even with over 400 years, the Ticuna people have managed to preserve their personal identity through their native language,

traditions, religions, rituals, and cultural art forms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjSUOngfbHE&feature=related