Mythologies of the Puinave Tribe
The Puinave tribe lives in the eastern part of Colombia, mainly by the Inírida and Guaviare rivers (Reserves: Almidón- La Ceiba, Bachaco – Buenavista, Caranacoa-Yuri-Morocoto, Coayare-El Coco, Paujil y Chorro Bocón). They live mainly in the Guainía department but are also present in the departments of Guaviare and Vichada. Also known as the Guaipunare, Puinave, Uapi or Wantyinht. Puinave people call themselves “children of Guarirom”. They make their living from fishing, growing yuca (in family-size plots), and gathering wild fruits. The Puinave people have gone through a complex process of cultural assimilation during the 20th century, mainly through the intervention of religious communities and evangelical missions. As a consequence, their cosmology, social organization and traditional medicine practices and rituals have experienced substantial changes. First contacts between early colonizers and the Puinave people, historically settled in their territory, were registered during the first European explorations. During the 17th century, the first Catholic missions were founded, although it wasn’t until the beginning of the 20th century that a powerful western influence was exerted on them. During this time the North American missionary Sophia Müller carried out her evangelic activities, reorganizing the Puinave people in villages, leaving behind their semi-nomadic ways, which implied a radical change in their way of life, customs and traditions.
Puinave, Waipunavi (Guaipunabi) or Wanse (Wã́nsöjöt [ˈw̃ã́nsɤhɤt Puinave: Wãnsöhöt) is an indigenous language of Colombia and Venezuela. It is generally considered to be an unclassified language. There are about 6,800 people in 32 communities along the banks of the Inírida River in Guainía Department, Colombia. Additionally, there are 470 people in 10 communities along the Orinoco River, in the Colombia–Venezuela border region. Other names for the language include Camaku del Guaviare or Camaku del Inírida.
At present, most Puinave Indians live along the frontier between Colombia and Venezuela. They are especially concentrated in the Guainía territory of Colombia and in the Venezuelan State of Amazonas, although some have moved to the Orinoco River, and even into Brazil. Estimates of their population range from 1,800 to 3,491. Many live on government reservations in Colombia. In 1988 these reservations and their Puinave populations were as follows: Remanzo-Chorro Bocón (490), Coayare-El Choco (184), Caranacoa-Yuri-Laguna Morocoto (326), Almikdon-La Gelba (138), Bachaco Buena Vista (186), Guaco Bajo y Guaco Alto (265), and Cano Bocón Brazo Amanaven (103). The Puinave speak an isolated language related to Máku, although they differ from the Máku tribe in material culture and mythology, both of which indicate a strong Arawak influence. In the early records of their history, the Puinave were found along the Nooquéne and Inirida rivers, living near a culturally related people, the Caberre. The Puinave have moved many times in the past to avoid White colonizers. In the sixteenth century, they moved to the Macuco to escape from Jesuit missionaries who had attempted to settle them on missions. More recently, their lives have been affected by rubber tappers, settlers, cattle ranchers, and evangelical missionaries. The Puinave population has been decimated by introduced diseases, and at present they have a high incidence of tuberculosis.
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