The Yanomami are an indigenous people of Brazil and Venezuela. They live in parts of the northwest Amazon Rainforest and southern Orinoco, share the culture and speak Yanomaman languages, which include Yanomamí and Sanima. Their village is a wood and thatch house called a shabono. The shabono is circular in shape and surrounds a central open space. Each family has their own area within the shabono.
Traditionally the Yanomami are known for wearing minimal clothing. The only thing worn by men was a string-like belt, into which the foreskin of the penis was clamped. The women wore no clothing at all. The children always stay stay close to their mother and most of the childcare is done by them.
The Yanomami practiced polygyny (though also many of them were monogamous).
They are known as hunters, fishers and growers of crops like plantains and cassava. They also eat giant grubs, sometimes the size of baby rodents.
As their diet is very low in salt and their blood pressure among the lowest of all peoples on earth, the Yanomami have been made the subject of studies seeking to link hypertension to sodium consumption.
After having harvested a good crop, they give a big party to whom they invite the nearby villages. Huge amounts of food is gathered, which helps to maintain good relations with their neighbours. They also decorate their bodies with feathers and flowers. During the feast the Yanomami eat a lot and the women dance and sing late into the night.
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