Hixkaryana

Most Hixkaryana today live on the banks of the middle Nhamundá, the river that divides the states of Amazonas and Pará. There are ten villages on the Amazonas side and one on the Pará side. There are also two villages on the middle Jatapu, in Amazonas. Many Hixkaryana families are mixed with other groups, particularly Katuena, Waiwai, and Xereu, who live on the Mapuera River. A few other Hixkaryana families live temporarily in the cities of Nhamundá, Parintins, and Manaus. There are around 1240 Indians in total.

Hixkaryana (hixka, red deer; yana, people; hixkaryana, red deer people) is a generic name denoting various groups with similar languages and culture valleys of the Nhamundá and middle Jatapu rivers. The word thus encompasses other groups who, very probably, used to have greater autonomy in the past and who, even today, in local contexts, call themselves Kamarayana, Yukwarayana, Karahawyana, and Xowyana.

The Hixkaryana language is from the Karib linguistic family and is spoken by all members of the group. It is very similar to other dialects spoken in the region of the Trombetas and Mapuera, where matrimonial and ritual exchanges have resulted in a tightening of relations between the different indigenous groups. Their myths usually tell of a pre-cosmic past when there was no distinction between humans and non-humans; the narratives present humans in the condition of animals, trying to domesticate plants, dominate fire or live in society.

It is important to point out, however, that much of traditional Hixkaryana culture was lost through missionary action. Evangelized in 1958, they abandoned tobacco and fermented drinks. The role of the shaman weakened and the entire context of mythology and ritual cure activities was lost, replaced by Christian festivities. Today, there are hybrid practices that mix indigenous and Christian universes. Hixkaryana handcraft production uses similar patterns to that of the Waiwai and the Katuena.