Yuracaré

Yuracaré is an ethnic group indigenous to the Bolivian Amazonas Department, specifically in the Iturralde Province. They are also known as the Yuruk or Yurakare. The Yuracaré are the indigenous inhabitants of a region in the lowlands between the Madre de Dios River to the south and the Beni River to the north.

The Yuracaré people have a distinct culture and language, which belongs to the Yuracare language family. Their society is organized into small, isolated communities, each with its own leader. Traditional Yuracaré subsistence activities include hunting, fishing, and gathering forest products. Agriculture is also a significant part of their livelihood, with crops such as manioc and maize being cultivated.

The Yuracaré have a rich spiritual tradition, centered on the worship of ancestral spirits and a variety of nature spirits. Their mythology is filled with stories of the creation of the world and the origins of the Yuracaré people. Traditional Yuracaré practices have been influenced by Christian missionaries, who arrived in the region in the 19th century.

The Yuracaré population has experienced decline in recent decades due to diseases brought by outsiders, malnutrition, and exposure to natural gas and oil activities. Development projects within their territory have also disrupted their way of life and traditional livelihoods.

The Yuracaré people have a long history of Indian resistance to colonization and the exploitation of their lands by external interests. Their struggles for self-determination and land rights continue to be an important aspect of their identity and cultural heritage. Despite these challenges, the Yuracaré remain a proud and distinctive ethnic group in the Bolivian Amazon.