Who Are the Indigenous People in the Rainforest?

There are far too many indigenous people in the rainforest to list, since there are many rainforests the world over, and many of those rainforest areas have tribes and groups of people who live there and who have lived there for hundreds of years. Learning a little more about who some of the indigenous people in the rain forest are, can give you a better glimpse of some of the cultures that exist deep within the forests.

It’s not widely known that the rainforests of the world are home to millions of indigenous people, made up of hundreds of tribes and cultures which are tens of thousands of years old.  

Each rainforest has its own indigenous culture, and the tribes of indigenous people who live within each rainforest vary widely depending on their history and location. Three of the most well-known tribes of indigenous people who live in the rainforest include:

• Huli
• Pygmies
• Yanomami

So, lets learn a little more about who these indigenous people are that living in the rainforests.

Huli

The rainforests of Papua New Guinea are home to a large tribe called the Huli, a resourceful people who sustain themselves through hunting, gathering and cultivation of crops. Their farming is actually helpful to the landscape, since it allows for natural re-foresting and clearing of dead land and soil; the Huli work in conjunction with nature to allow secondary forest growth at a pace that sustains, rather than damages, the landscape. 

Pygmies

The Pygmies are found in the large rainforests that cover the central portion of Africa. They are hunters and gatherers, and are probably the best-known of rainforest people because they are unique in their short stature.

The term “pygmy” actually refers to a number of varied ethnic groups; this method of referring to them as a group is not ideal, but is used because there seems to be no better way to classify all of the African tribes into one group. It should be noted that “pygmy” is sometimes considered a derogatory term. It is derogatory when used to refer to someone who is of short stature, but is generally accepted as the technical term for the African rainforest tribes. 

Yanomami

The Yanomami tribe lives in South American rainforest territory. They are threatened rather severely during recent years by gold-miners working on their land and transmitting diseases through the water; the situation is currently dire and is in flux with the Brazilian government.

Some issues with the Brazilian National Health Foundation have limited the tribe’s access to medical care, and it has become a point of contention among politicians as well as citizens in surrounding Brazil and Venezuela. The Yanomami population numbers around 32,000 people. They have been in their home region for an estimated 40,000 years.

Saving the Rainforests

In today’s modern world, with rainforests in danger of disappearing, most Westerners are concerned about the environmental impact of the situation but aren’t even aware that the trees and animals aren’t the only victims to rainforest loss. The indigenous tribes within the rainforests are a largely ignored part of the situation.

Now that you know who the indigenous people are that live in the rainforest, you can better understand yet one more reason why we need to save the rainforests from deforestation.