Maleku
Encyclopedia
The Maleku are an indigenous
people of Costa Rica
located in the Guatuso Indigenous Reserve near the town of Guatuso
(San Rafael de Guatuso
). Around 600 aboriginal
people live on the reserve, but outsiders have come into the community as well. Before the Spanish colonization, their territory extended as far west as Rincon de la Vieja, and included the volcano Arenal
to the south and Rio Celeste
as sacred sites. Today their reserve is concentrated south of San Rafael de Guatuso, an hour north of La Fortuna
.
. Tourists who visit the villages, however, get a better sense of Maleku culture, even if it is somewhat diminished in modern times. One can visit the traditional gardens of healing plants and admire animals that still inhabit the forest, including toucan
s, frogs, and monkeys.
Today the villages mostly contain cement houses, but still contain a couple of traditional houses used for ceremonies as tourist attractions. The Maleku traditionally bury their dead directly inside their homes, so the dead are never forgotten. Living in cement houses, the Maleku have had to acquire special permission from the Costa Rica
n government to bury their dead in their backyards.
s. The Maleku still hunt for iguana
meat and use the skin on their traditional drum
s. Some plants, while mildly toxic, are still part of a traditional Maleku diet.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
people of Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
located in the Guatuso Indigenous Reserve near the town of Guatuso
Guatuso
Guatuso is the name of the 15th canton in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of , and has a population of 13,984...
(San Rafael de Guatuso
San Rafael de Guatuso
San Rafael is the capital city of the canton of Guatuso in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. It is also the name of the distrito that includes the city...
). Around 600 aboriginal
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
people live on the reserve, but outsiders have come into the community as well. Before the Spanish colonization, their territory extended as far west as Rincon de la Vieja, and included the volcano Arenal
Arenal
Arenal can refer to the following:Location*El Arenal, a town in Spain*El Arenal, Chile, a town in Chile*Arenal, Yoro, a municipality in Honduras*El Arenal, Majorca, a town in the city of Palma, Majorca...
to the south and Rio Celeste
Tenorio Volcano National Park
Tenorio Volcano National Park is a National Park in the northern part of Costa Rica, which forms part of the Arenal Tilaran Conservation Area. The jewel of the National Park is the volcano, from which it receives its name...
as sacred sites. Today their reserve is concentrated south of San Rafael de Guatuso, an hour north of La Fortuna
San Carlos Canton
San Carlos is the name of the 10th canton in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of , making it the largest canton in the country. It has a population of 137,499 , ranking it fifth...
.
Reserve
The reserve consists of 3 "palenques" or villages, Palenque Sol, Palenque Tonjibe, and Paleque Margarita. Their economy primarily relies on indigenous art: carvings, paintings, and musical instruments are their most popular items. Most members in the villages (including children) make some type of art or help out, by cutting and preparing the necessary balsa wood trees or fruit needed for the projects.Tourism
The Maleku still invite tourists to visit their villages, although most tourists prefer to see them perform ceremonies in the nearby town of La FortunaSan Carlos Canton
San Carlos is the name of the 10th canton in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of , making it the largest canton in the country. It has a population of 137,499 , ranking it fifth...
. Tourists who visit the villages, however, get a better sense of Maleku culture, even if it is somewhat diminished in modern times. One can visit the traditional gardens of healing plants and admire animals that still inhabit the forest, including toucan
Toucan
Toucans are members of the family Ramphastidae of near passerine birds from the Neotropics. The family is most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five genera and about forty different species...
s, frogs, and monkeys.
Housing
The Maleku no longer live in their traditional houses, since the trees necessary to make them are now endangered, nor do they wear their traditional clothes. The Maleku use most of the money they earn to buy back the land they consider to be theirs, since their reserve is actually smaller than what is shown on maps. Surrounding fields have been sold to farmers who have cleared the Maleku forest to raise cattle.Today the villages mostly contain cement houses, but still contain a couple of traditional houses used for ceremonies as tourist attractions. The Maleku traditionally bury their dead directly inside their homes, so the dead are never forgotten. Living in cement houses, the Maleku have had to acquire special permission from the Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
n government to bury their dead in their backyards.
Diet
Their traditional diet consisted of various plants and animals from the tropical forests. Animals include a wide variety of fish, and turtles, from the Rio Frio, Rio Sol, and Caño Negro and iguanaIguana
Iguana is a herbivorous genus of lizard native to tropical areas of Central America and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his book Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena...
s. The Maleku still hunt for iguana
Iguana
Iguana is a herbivorous genus of lizard native to tropical areas of Central America and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his book Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena...
meat and use the skin on their traditional drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. Some plants, while mildly toxic, are still part of a traditional Maleku diet.
Vocabulary and Language
Very few people still speak the native language, and it is in danger of dying out.- kapi kapi = hello (with a knocking gesture on your partner's shoulder) Also means Welcome.
- afe-pakian = Thank you
- w-ay = yes
- hebet = no
- fufu = morfo butterfly (italian)
- niskak = bird
- pili = toucan
- pek-pen = frog
- gnou-ek = red-eye frog
- ti-fakara = waterfall
- irri miotem? = what is your name?
- mioten ... = my name is ...
- arrachapi kahole = I would like a cup of coffee
- errekeki kerakou = let's go (to a place)
- ereke malehila =let's go swimming