Introduction / History

The Yaruro are a First Nations tribe that lives west of the Orinoco River. The members of this group call themselves Pume meaning people. Most live in Venezuela with a small number in neighboring Colombia. The criollo (non-Indian) population in their area dropped significantly due to the Venezuelan War of Independence (1810-1820), and the Pume and non-Indians had little contact for about 100 years. In the 1930s, neocolonial cattle ranches marked a new beginning of modern economic development of the area. Now, all Pume villages have occasional contact with criollo ranchers and many Pume work as seasonal migrant laborers for the ranchers.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Pume’s diet includes fish caught by bow and arrow along with manioc and corn raised through slash-and-burn agriculture. They also hunt small animals and waterfowl and gather wild tubers. The Pume keep domestic dogs, pigs and chickens.

They craft household items such as water pots, hammocks, mats, and baskets for their own use and for trade in nearby villages and markets.

Men fish and hunt while women cook, care for the children and gather wild tubers. Both men and women work the fields, but the men clear the land for farms. Members of each Pume community recognize an area of approximately 200 square kilometers surrounding the main settlement as their area of rightful use. The land is communal, with Pume having no individual land ownership.

Conflict has arisen with the criollos due to their extensive cattle ranching moving into the Pume areas of lakes and ponds. Many Pume have lost their traditional resource areas and been pushed into seasonal migrant work to meet the needs of their families.

Most Pume girls marry by age 15 with no formal marriage ceremony. A small percentage of men have more than one wife, and the wives are usually sisters.

Each Pume village has a headman who has little authority, but rather he serves his village by informing the community of events and seasonal moves. He is the one to welcome visitors. The Pume people avoid conflict with one another. They understand the destructive nature of drunkenness, which causes people to injure others and disrupts social harmony.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Pume religion is polytheistic regarding five cultural heroes. The Pume also seek guidance, assistance, and protection from minor spirits. They believe the minor spirits are guardians of the sky, the water, and the earth. Evil spirits in the forests called

What Are Their Needs?

The Pume need to hear about the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

They need enough land and fishing areas to supply food to survive year-round.

Prayer Items

Pray for a spiritual hunger that will draw them to Jesus Christ and none other.
Pray for the small percentage of Pume believers to rejoice in the truth and share it with their community.
Pray for Pume disciples to make more disciples.

Scripture Prayers for the Yaruro, Pume in Venezuela.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaruro_people
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yaruro
https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/pume
https://dbpedia.org/page/Yaruro_people