Arara do Rondonia in Brazil

People Name:	Arara do Rondonia
Country:	Brazil
10/40 Window:	No
Population:	400
World Population:	400
Primary Language:	Karo (Brazil)
Primary Religion:	Ethnic Religions
Christian Adherents:	20.00 %
Evangelicals:	0.80 %
Scripture:	Translation Needed
Online Audio NT:	No
Jesus Film:	No
Audio Recordings:	Yes
People Cluster:	South American Indigenous
Affinity Bloc:	Latin-Caribbean Americans
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The Arara are a First Nations people in Brazil. They have had contact with the Portuguese speaking majority since 1850. They had a reputation for being warlike and using the body parts of vanquished enemies. They had serious conflicts with outsiders who invaded their land as late as the 1960s. That was the time when Brazil built the Transamazonian Highway through the Arara homeland. They were settled in villages established by FUNAI, Brazil’s agency established for dealings with indigenous peoples. Today the Arara are able and willing to have contact with outsiders. There are subgroups of the Arara, divided by region and sometimes dialect. One of these subgroups is the Arara do Rondonia. That is a reference to Rondônia state in western Brazil.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Arara do Rondonia plant and harvest food such as potato, yam, maize, bananas and pineapples. Some of this is fermented and made into a drink which is exchanged with hunters for game meat. These trades are accompanied by rituals, some of which involve the work of a shaman.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Though there is some Roman Catholic influence among the Arara do Rondonia, they are basically shamanistic. They depend on their traditional gods rather than the God of Creation.

What Are Their Needs?

The Arara do Rondonia people need to adapt to a changing world. They will eventually need education in new areas. This will take them out of their comfort zone.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to provide protection and mercy for the Arara do Rondonia people of Brazil.
Pray for members of the Arara do Rondonia tribe who love the Lord to teach Christ to others.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to move among the Arara do Rondonia people this decade, providing them with a hope and a purpose.