Primates in the Lives of the Yanomami People of Brazil and Venezuela

Global importance of Indigenous Peoples, their lands, and knowledge systems for saving the world’s primates from extinction

“…This contrasts with the situation with many Indigenous Peoples today, who now have long histories in their homelands. In Amazonia, for example, many Indigenous Peoples consider primates to be fundamentally human in their origins and underlying essence ( 41 ). Even when used as a source of meat, they commonly occupy a unique role in mythology, culture, and pet-keeping practices ( 41 , 86 ).…”

“…In Amazonia, for example, many Indigenous Peoples consider primates to be fundamentally human in their origins and underlying essence ( 41 ). Even when used as a source of meat, they commonly occupy a unique role in mythology, culture, and pet-keeping practices ( 41 , 86 ). Among the Awá-Guajá people of Brazil, for example, the fundamental humanity of howler monkeys is evident both in the way they are hunted (which involves reciprocal “singing” between humans and howlers) and in adopting orphaned howler monkey juveniles as pets in their settlements, where these primates and other wild animal pets often “surpass the number of human beings” ( 86 ).…”

The Primate Cultural Significance Index: applications with Popoluca Indigenous people at Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve

“…In 2003 in Mexico, most primates kept as pets (70%) corresponded to spider monkeys [ 13 ] and in Mesoamerica they have been commonly kept as pets because they are more tamable and versatile, while howlers are difficult to tame [ 16 , 19 ]. The appropriation of monkeys as companion animals is a common practice in Latin America, an example of this is documented for the Maijuna of the Ecuadorian Amazon [ 10 ], among Yanomami groups from Brazil and Venezuela [ 9 ] and among Lokono, Kari'na and Warao groups in Guyana [ 14 ] where, commonly, people “adopt” infants after the mothers are hunted.…”

“…Ethnoprimatologists have been exploring holistic paths, for example promoting a common field of intersection between anthropology and primatology for biological and cultural conservation [ 7 , 91 ]; and also recognizing the blurring boundaries between primates and humans through the deep understanding of culturally complex relationships among indigenous peoples [ 17 , 92 ]. There are also multiple examples of current transdisciplinary research in ethnoprimatology that go from collaborative research among anthropologists, biologists, and indigenous peoples [ 9 ], the interpretation of ancestral codes, values, and links in the collective unconscious of people for conservation [ 93 ] to the understanding of primates as “other-than human persons” from a cognitive point of view [ 94 ] or from a multispecies perspective [ 89 ]. Finally, as we find in this study, quantitative ethnoprimatology, particularly cultural significance indexes, provides an analytical framework for synthesizing information and patterns across socio-ecological systems.…”

“…Throughout Mesoamerica and South America, primates have also been used for a range purposes, including as food, medicine, and as raw materials to make cultural artifacts. In Mesoamerica, primates are sold by local people into the wildlife trade in order to resolve economic needs [ 9 – 15 ]. Likewise, primates are important in the symbolism and cosmovision of several ancestral cultures of the Neotropics [ 10 , 16 – 19 ].…”