Who Are the Piaroa?
The Piaroa (Wöthuha, De'aruwa) are an indigenous people of the middle Orinoco River basin in Venezuela, numbering approximately 15,000-18,000. They speak Piaroa, a Salivan language. The Piaroa inhabit the forested hills and riverbanks of Amazonas state and adjacent areas, practicing a combination of swidden agriculture, fishing, hunting, and gathering. The Piaroa are renowned among anthropologists for their remarkably peaceful social organization, with extremely low rates of violence and highly egalitarian gender relations. Their philosophy explicitly values tranquility and discourages competition, anger, and aggression, making them a case study in non-violent society.
A Peaceful Society
The Piaroa have attracted anthropological attention for their remarkably non-violent society. Studies document extremely low rates of murder, assault, and even verbal aggression. Piaroa philosophy explicitly values tranquility (a'kwanu) and considers anger shameful rather than justified. Children are raised to be cooperative rather than competitive. Disputes are resolved through avoidance, gossip, and shaming rather than confrontation. Leaders lead by example and persuasion rather than coercion. This peacefulness contrasts with neighbors like the Yanomami, documented for inter-village violence. The Piaroa demonstrate that extreme non-violence is possible in human societies, challenging assumptions about innate human aggression.
Shamanism and Cosmos
Piaroa cosmology features elaborate shamanic traditions that help explain their peaceful orientation. The universe is created and sustained through ritual chanting (maripä). Shamans (meriruwa) chant to protect communities from dangerous forces emanating from both the spirit world and from human emotions like anger. Anger is believed to create illness and misfortune, providing practical reasons to avoid it. Elaborate creation narratives explain the origin of humans, animals, and cultural practices. Ritual blowing and protective chants accompany daily activities. This cosmic framework gives religious meaning to peacefulness, making non-violence a spiritual as well as social value.
Contemporary Piaroa
Modern Piaroa face pressures that challenge their traditional peacefulness. Contact with Venezuelan national society has intensified since the mid-20th century. Mining, both legal and illegal, threatens their territory. Venezuela's political and economic crisis has affected indigenous communities through reduced services and increased mining pressure. Some Piaroa have become involved in gold mining, transforming social dynamics. Young Piaroa increasingly engage with the broader world through education and media. How the Piaroa maintain their distinctive peaceful culture amid external pressures that promote competition and conflict shapes the future of this remarkable society that anthropologists have called "peaceful people."
References
- Overing, J. (1993). "The Anarchy and Collectivism of the 'Primitive Other': Marx and Sahlins in the Amazon"
- Overing, J. & Passes, A. (2000). The Anthropology of Love and Anger: The Aesthetics of Conviviality in Native Amazonia
- Zent, S. (2009). Traditional Ecological Knowledge among the Piaroa