Indigenous Venezuelan Foodways

Indigenous

⚠ NOT ONE PEOPLE AND NOT ONE FOODWAY. Venezuela recognises around fifty Indigenous peoples in several unrelated language families — Arawakan, Cariban, Chibchan, Yanomaman, Sáliban, Tupian and isolates. The largest is the WAYUU of Zulia. In the Orinoco and Amazonas: YE’KWANA, YANOMAMI and SANEMÁ, PIAROA (Wötjüja), PIAPOCO, CURRIPACO, YABARANA, MAPOYO, HOTI/Jodi, E’ÑEPÁ (Panare). In the delta: WARAO. In Bolívar: PEMÓN and KARI’ÑA. In the Sierra de Perijá: BARÍ and YUKPA. ⚠ THE MAPOYO ORAL TRADITION is on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage in urgent need of safeguarding. Shared across many: bitter cassava processed into casabe and mañoco, river fish, palm fruits, hunting and the conuco garden. ⚠ WHAT DIFFERS IS NOT FLATTENED, and ceremonial knowledge is not recorded.

Communities and languages

Wayuu community documented

Warao community documented

Pemón community documented

Ye’kwana community documented

Yanomami community documented

Piaroa community documented

Kari’ña community documented

Barí community documented

Yukpa community documented

E’ñepá community documented

Mapoyo community documented

Hoti community documented

Languages: Wayuu, Warao, Pemon, Ye'kwana, Yanomamö, Sanumá, Piaroa, Galibi Carib, Bari, Yukpa, Panare, Yabarana, Mapoyo, Hoti, Piapoco, Curripaco

What is recorded

Venezuela recognises approximately fifty Indigenous peoples across several unrelated language families including Arawakan, Cariban, Chibchan, Yanomaman and Sáliban, plus isolates. Their foodways are not recorded as uniform. The oral tradition of the Mapoyo is inscribed on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage in urgent need of safeguarding. Ceremonial knowledge is not recorded in this system. documented