Rikbaktsa
The Rikbaktsa , also called canoeiros or orelhas de pau (wooden ears), are an indigenous people who live in the Brazilian Amazon . From 1955/60 they were contacted by various development teams and missionaries . The Rikbaktsa live in the northeast of the state of Mato Grosso . The traditional area is located between the rivers Rio Juruena and Rio do Sangue , which in the north by the borders of the states of Amazonas and Mato Grosso, in the south by the confluence of the rivers Rio Juruena and Rio Papagaio , in the east by the Rio Arinos and in the Bounded west by the Rio Aripuanã .
The population at the time of the first contact was around 1000 people, has since fallen to 550 and in 1995 was again over 900 people who now live in around 30 villages. The Rikbaktsa language belongs to the Macro-Ge language family . The Portuguese language is the colloquial language today. Since not all children are proficient in Rikbaktsa, Portuguese and Rikbaktsa are taught at the schools run by the Rikbaktsa themselves.
The economy has changed dramatically with the advance of the Brazilian population. At times the extraction of rubber became one of the most important sources of income. Traditional forms of subsistence are hunting, gathering and fishing as well as shifting cultivation . Due to the decimation of the traditional areas by fazendas and the penetration of hobby anglers, the abundance of fish and game has plummeted. Therefore the Rikbaktsa are more and more dependent on money to purchase basic food and medicine.
Because of their craftsmanship, the rikbaktsa feather headdress achieved great popularity among collectors. The feathers are mainly taken from parrots, which live like pets in the villages and whose feathers are torn out if necessary.
Material culture
Feather headdress
Feather diadem ( Museu Nacional )
Feather diadem (Museu Nacional)
Web links
- Rinaldo SV Arruda: Rikbaktsá. Website Povos Indígenas no Brasil , Instituto Socioambiental