Bird feather epaulettes

The culture of Amazonia Indians is divided into two types: savannah and rainforest. Ye'kuana Indians are included in the rainforest culture. In ethnological literature, they are also known as Dekuana and Makiritare. They call themselves Ye'kuana, which means ‘boat people’ or ‘chisel people’ and comes from ye - wood, cu - water and ana - people. They traditionally live in the Venezuelan states of Amazonas and Bolivar. They speak the language of the Carib family. They live in permanent settlements and change them every 7-10 years due to the degradation of the cultivated soil. Traditionally they live in large communal huts called ëttë, which house 20-70 people. Their social organisation is based on a kinship system. The economy is based on fossil cultivation of the land, supplemented with hunting, fishing and gathering. The Ye'kuana Indians, once known as the best hunters in the region, hunt, among others, humpback whales, toucans, white egrets, chickadees, sparrow hawks and ara parrots. Traditionally, they use blowguns or bows with special blunt-ended arrows to hunt birds, which stun the birds and do not stain them with blood. The presented epaulettes are made of variously coloured bird feathers. These are festive ornaments worn by men of high social status during important internal ceremonies and when representing the community outside. Among the most influential personalities of Ye'kuan are the shaman, members of the council of elders and the village chief. In the past, this group also included the best hunters and artisans, such as braiders and boat builders.

Katarzyna Findlik-Gawron