Amerindian ethnos group Nukak (word which means " gens" in their language) lives between the basins of the Guaviare and the Inirida, in Colombia. It belongs to the 80 autochtones groups which live in this country. Nukak constitute one of the six sub-groups of the people maku, hunters-gatherers wandering of the sources of Amazonia of the North-West.

Lifestyle

The nukaks are hunter-collectors. They live in family small groups, privilege the forest isolated with the rivers and are Nomades. This great mobility implies that they have only very few tangible properties, the latter having to be easily transportable. They can thus in a few minutes gather their hammocks woven out of vegetable fibers (which constitute their principal furniture), their ustensils and some other objects in bags of palms which they carry on the back and set out again. The family groups move on average every five days, out of approximately 7 kilometers, rebuilding each time a new house.

Nukak nourish Gibier, monkeys, of fish, tortoises, birds, fruits, nut, vegetables, tubers, insects and of honey. The men drive out using Sarbacane S who can measure up to 3 meters with the coated darts of Curare. The nukaks depilate part of their hair and trace red lines on the face with a preparation containing Rocou.

The houses maku, built using branches and of sheets of palm, have a light structure of a sufficient solidity to get a roof to them and to suspend their hammocks. Each family has her own hearth used to cook, be heated and also to consume certain plants in order to move away the mosquitos during the night.

People in danger

The nukaks were discovered in 1988 close to the Squid village, and since, their number dropped, passing from surroundings 1200 individuals (census carried out in 1992 by the ministry for the interior indicated 1.663 members) with 500. That is due mainly to the respiratory diseases which they catch in contact with civilization.

Their life expectancy does not exceed 43 years today.

They left the Amazon forest because of the war of drug making rage between the FARC, the Paramilitaire S and the Colombian Armée. Between November 2005 and April 2006, 22 families representing 138 individuals took refuge with the camping of Aguabonita close to San Jose del Guaviare. August 9th, 2006, HCR launched a call to the armed groups so that they leave in peace the indigenous populations of Colombia.

In October 2006, an Indian leader nukak committed suicide by ingurgitant a poison used for fishing with nivrée. " He was desperate not to have succeeded in organizing the return of Nukak on their territory, this territory which they like and which they want to recover " a spokesperson of the ONIC declared, the national indigenous organization of Colombia. This suicide occurs little of time after the death of a nine year old boy and the flu epidemic which touched more than one quarter of the group. Since their first contact with the outside world in 1988, more half of the group disappeared and from many Indians suffer from malnutrition, diarrhea, influenza and respiratory infections.

External bond

• Survival

• lefigaro.fr
• APEM- the tragedy of Nukak
• Article of Office of the High Commission of the United Nations for the refugees

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