Makushi

The Makushi, also spelled Macushi, are an indigenous people of the Amazon Basin in South America. They live in parts of Brazil (notably in Roraima and adjacent Amazonas), Guyana, and Suriname. The community is widely dispersed along river basins, with many villages grouped around families and kin networks. Estimates place the Makushi population in the tens of thousands, with the majority in Brazil and Guyana.

The Makushi language, Macushi, belongs to the Arawakan language family. It is commonly spoken in conjunction with the dominant colonial languages of each country—Portuguese in Brazil, English in Guyana and Suriname—leading to bilingual or multilingual communities. Dialects vary among villages and regional groups.

Historically, Makushi people pursued a combination of shifting agriculture, hunting, and fishing. Manioc (cassava) cultivation is central to their diet, along with fruits and game. Villages are typically organized around communal and kin-based governance, with elders and ritual specialists playing important roles. The Makushi have a rich oral tradition, music, and dance, and they maintain crafts such as beadwork and basketry. Christianity, introduced through missionary activity, coexists with traditional beliefs and rituals in many communities.

In contemporary times, the Makushi face challenges common to many indigenous groups in the region, including land and resource rights, deforestation, and pressures from mining and development. Many communities participate in bilingual education and local governance initiatives, and some engage in ecotourism and cultural initiatives to sustain their languages and livelihoods while navigating state structures.