Macushi
Encyclopedia
The Macuxi are an ethnic group of southern Guyana
and northern Brazil
. There are approximately 15,000 Macushi speakers
in Brazil and 9,000 in Guyana.
, a Jesuit missionary
settled among the Macushi of the Rupununi
Region (Guyana) in 1909, learned the language and stayed with them for more than 23 years. On his return to England
, through his lectures he made the people of the region better known and respected.
The Brazilian Government have set up schools, as well as hospitals for the Macushi and since 2005 they are campaigning for land rights to be recognized throughout Brazil. Some individuals from the Macushi tribe are very well educated. In the trial for the land rights, Joênia Batista de Carvalho Wapichna was the first lawyer with Indian roots to give a speech in the STF (Superior Tribunal Federal).
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
and northern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. There are approximately 15,000 Macushi speakers
Macushi language
Macushi is the most populous of the Cariban languages, spoken by 30,000 in Brazil and Guyana. It is also spelled Makushi, Makusi, Makuxi, Macusi, Macussi, and also known as Teweya ....
in Brazil and 9,000 in Guyana.
Origins
The Macushi see themselves as descendants of the sun's children, who created fire, as well as diseases, and they also believe they discovered Washacá – Tree of Life. The Macushi believe in the life principle – stkaton – and they believe it comes from the sun.Lifestyle
They live in villages linked together by tracks and paths, with houses built round a central court yard. When married, the Macushi couple lives in the wife's family's village and the father-in-law is of great importance in Macushi kinship.History
Cuthbert Cary-ElwesCuthbert Cary-Elwes
Cuthbert Cary-Elwes was an English Jesuit priest, itinerant missionary and founder of the Rupununi Mission, in South-Guyana.-Youth and Formation:...
, a Jesuit missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
settled among the Macushi of the Rupununi
Rupununi
Rupununi is a river and region in southern Guyana, South America, originating in the Kanuku Mountains. The Rupununi River runs from near the Brazilian border into the Essequibo River. The river during the flood season actually shares a watershed with the Amazon...
Region (Guyana) in 1909, learned the language and stayed with them for more than 23 years. On his return to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, through his lectures he made the people of the region better known and respected.
The Brazilian Government have set up schools, as well as hospitals for the Macushi and since 2005 they are campaigning for land rights to be recognized throughout Brazil. Some individuals from the Macushi tribe are very well educated. In the trial for the land rights, Joênia Batista de Carvalho Wapichna was the first lawyer with Indian roots to give a speech in the STF (Superior Tribunal Federal).
External links
- Dramatic video shows attack on Indian village 20 June 2008