Tsimane'
Encyclopedia
The Tsimane' are an indigenous
ethnic group in lowland Bolivia
, living in the Pilon Lajas Reserve
in the Beni Department
. The Tsimané are said to number around 15,000, but an actual number is difficult to ascertain due to them living remotely and spread out. They are still a hunter-gatherer
culture, although the settlements are becoming more stable. The Consejo Regional Tsimane Mosetene (CRTM) is the organization that represents the interests of this indigenous group.
Tsimane speak isolate language Tsimane with two dialects: Tsimane proper and Moseten.
Includes a small group of Mosetén (585) speaking a close dialect.
Among other things, it appears that they do not develop heart disease as they age in the same ways as people in the developed world.
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...
ethnic group in lowland Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, living in the Pilon Lajas Reserve
Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve and Communal Lands
Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve and Communal Lands is a protected area in Bolivia located in the departments of La Paz and Beni , in their northern and western parts, respectively, about 350 km northeast of La Paz and 50 km west of...
in the Beni Department
Beni Department
Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José...
. The Tsimané are said to number around 15,000, but an actual number is difficult to ascertain due to them living remotely and spread out. They are still a hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
culture, although the settlements are becoming more stable. The Consejo Regional Tsimane Mosetene (CRTM) is the organization that represents the interests of this indigenous group.
Tsimane speak isolate language Tsimane with two dialects: Tsimane proper and Moseten.
Includes a small group of Mosetén (585) speaking a close dialect.
Health
The Tsimane Health and Life History Project has studied the Tsimane since 2002.Among other things, it appears that they do not develop heart disease as they age in the same ways as people in the developed world.