List of contemporary ethnic groups of South America

The following is a list of contemporary ethnic groups of South America. There has been constant debate over the classification of ethnic groups. Membership of an ethnic group tends to be associated with shared ancestry, history, homeland, language or dialect and cultural heritage; where the term "culture" specifically includes aspects such as religion, mythology and ritual, cuisine, dressing (clothing) style and other factors.
By the nature of the concept, ethnic groups tend to be divided into subgroups, may themselves be or not be identified as independent ethnic groups depending on the source consulted.
South America here is considered to be approximately delimited from Africa by the South Atlantic Ocean; from North America by the Darién Gap and the portion of the Caribbean Sea south of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Nueva Esparta, Providencia, San Andrés, Trinidad, and Tobago; and from Oceania by the East Pacific Rise connecting the Pacific and Nazca Plates as well as by its intersection with the Chile Ridge at the Juan Fernández Microplate.

Ethnic groups

The following groups are commonly identified as "ethnic groups", as opposed to ethno-linguistic phyla, national groups, racial groups or similar.

Ethnicity	Language	Primary homeland	Subgroups, tribes & castes	Religion
Achagua	Arawakan → Upper Amazon Arawakan → Achagua	Colombia, Venezuela	Támara, Nunchía, Yopal, Tauramena, Recetor, Chámeza, Paya, Labranzagrande	Traditional religion, Christianity → Catholicism
Aché	Tupian → Guarani → Aché	Paraguay	Cerro Moroti, Ypetimi, Puerto Barra, Chupa Pou, Kuetuvy, Arroyo Bandera	Native American religion
Achuar	Chicham → Achuar	Peru, Ecuador	Huasaga	Christianity, Shamanism, Animism
Afro-Argentines	Indo-European → Romance → Spanish → Rioplatense Spanish	Argentina		Christianity → Catholicism
Afro-Brazilians	Indo-European → Romance → Portuguese → Brazilian Portuguese, Cafundó	Brazil		Christianity → Catholicism
Afro-Bolivians	Indo-European → Romance → Spanish → Bolivian Spanish	Bolivia		Christianity → Catholicism
Afro-Chileans	Indo-European → Romance → Spanish → Chilean Spanish	Chile		Christianity → Catholicism
Afro-Colombians	Indo-European → Romance → Spanish → Colombian Spanish; Indo-European → Spanish-based creole → Palenquero; Indo-European → English-based creole → San Andres-Providencia Creole	Colombia	Palenques, Raizals	Christianity → Catholicism
Afro-Ecuadorians	Various African languages → Forced loss of languages due to slavery in the Americas Spanish	Ecuador		Christianity → Catholicism
Afro-Guyanese	Various African languages → Forced loss of languages due to slavery in the Americas English → Guyanese Creole	Guyana		Christianity → Catholicism; Protestantism → Anglicanism, Methodism, Calvinism, Baptist, etc; Afro-American religions; Traditional African religions; Islam; Rastafari; Comfa
Afro-Paraguayans	Various African languages → Forced loss of languages due to slavery in the Americas Spanish	Paraguay		Christianity → Catholicism
Afro-Peruvians	Various African languages → Forced loss of languages due to slavery in the Americas Spanish	Peru		Christianity → Catholicism, Protestantism; Buddhism; Animism, etc
Afro-Surinamese	Various African languages → Forced loss of languages due to slavery in the Americas Dutch English → Sranan Tongo, Aukan, Kwinti English + Portuguese → Saramaccan	Suriname		Christianity, Winti
Afro-Uruguayans	Various African languages → Forced loss of languages due to slavery in the Americas Spanish → Rioplatense Spanish Spanish + Portuguese → Portuñol	Uruguay		Christianity → Catholicism, Protestantism; etc
Afro-Venezuelans	Various African languages → Forced loss of languages due to slavery in the Americas Spanish	Venezuela		Christianity → Catholicism, Protestantism; Birongo; Cult to María Lionza
Aguaruna	Chicham → Aguaruna	Peru	Yutupiza, Japaime	Christianity, Shamanism, Animism
Aikana	Aikana language	Brazil	Tubarão-Latundê, Vilhena	Animism
Apanyekra	Macro-Je → Je → Canela	Brazil		Ethnic religion
Apinajé	Macro-Je → Je → Apinayé	Brazil		Animism
Atacama	Kunza	Chile, Argentina, Bolivia		Inca Religion
Awa	Barbacoan → Awan → Awa	Colombia, Ecuador		Christianity
Aymara	Aymaran → Aymara	Bolivia, Peru, Chile		Christianity → Catholicism
Baniwa	Arawakan → Upper Amazon Arawakan → Karu	Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela		Traditional religion; Christianity → Catholicism
Boeroes	Indo-European → Germanic → Dutch → Surinaams	Suriname		Christianity
Bororo	Macro-Je → Bororoan → Bororo	Brazil		Animism
Cabiyari	Arawakan → Upper Amazon Arawakan → Cabiyari	Colombia		Christianity
Caquetio	Arawakan → Ta-Arawakan → Caquetio	Venezuela, formerly Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire		Native American religion
Chachi	Barbacoan → Chaʼpalaa	Ecuador		Christianity → Catholicism, Native American religion
Charrúa	Charruan languages	Uruguay	Chaná	Animism
Chiquitano	Macro-Jê → Chiquitano	Bolivia, Brazil	Tao, Miñoco, Manasi	Christianity → Catholicism; Traditional Religion
Cinta Larga	Tupian → Monde → Cinta Larga	Brazil		Indigenous religion, Santo Daime
Cofan	Cofan language	Ecuador, Colombia		Animism
Embera	Choco → Embera	Colombia, Panama		Shamanism
Ese Ejja	Tacanan → Ese Ejja	Bolivia, Peru		Christianity → Catholicism; Traditional Religion
Falkland Islanders	Indo-European → Germanic → English → Falkland Islands English	British Overseas Territories		Christianity
Gaviao (Je)	Macro-Je → Je → Para Gaviao → Parkateje, Macro-Je → Je → Para Gaviao → Pykobje	Brazil	Parkateje, Pykobje	Animism
Gaviao (Rondonia)	Tupian → Monde → Gavião of Jiparaná	Brazil		Animism
Guajajara	Tupian → Tenetehara	Brazil		Shamanism, Santo Daime
Guarani	Tupian → Guarani	Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia	Chiriguanos	Christianity → Catholicism
Guarayos	Tupian → Tupi-Guarani → Guarayu-Sirionó → Guarayo	Bolivia, Paraguay		Traditional religion, Christianity → Catholicism
Hispanic Americans	Indo-European → Romance → Spanish → American Spanish	Hispanic South America	Colombian, Argentinian, Peruvian, Hispanic Venezuelans, Chilean, Ecuadorian, Bolivian, Paraguayan, Uruguayans, along with significant populations in the United States, Spain, France, Canada, Italy, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, Portugal, Australia and Sweden	Christianity → Catholicism
Huambisa	Chicham → Huambisa	Peru, Ecuador		Christianity, Shamanism, Animism
Hunsrikers	Indo-European → Germanic → Hunsrik	Brazil		Christianity → Catholicism, Protestantism
Indo-Caribbeans	Indo-European → Germanic → English → English Creole; Indo-European → Germanic → Dutch → Surinamese Dutch; Indo-European → Romance → Portuguese → Papiamento; Indo-European → Indo-Aryan → Hindustani → Caribbean Hindustani; Dravidian → Tamiloid → Tamil	Guyana, Suriname	Indo-Guyanese, Indo-Surinamese, with significant populations in the United States and the United Kingdom	Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Baháʼí
Kaingang	Macro-Je → Je → Kaingang	Brazil		Shamanism
Kamentsa	Camsa language	Colombia		Christianity
Kawesqar	Alacalufan → Kawesqar	Chile		Christianity → Protestantism
Kayapo	Macro-Je → Je → Kayapo	Brazil		Animism
Kiriri	Indo-European → Romance → Portuguese → Brazilian Portuguese; formerly Macro-Jê → Kariri	Brazil		Toré religion
Kraho	Macro-Je → Je → Kraho	Brazil		Animism
Kwinti	Indo-European → English Creole → Kwinti	Suriname		Christianity → Moravian Church
Luso-Brazilians	Indo-European → Romance → Portuguese → Brazilian Portuguese	Portuguese America	North Brazilians, Northeast Brazilians, Central-West Brazilians, Southeast Brazilians, South Brazilians, along with significant populations in the United States, Portugal, Paraguay, United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Spain, Germany, Canada, Argentina, France, Switzerland, French Guiana, Australia, Ireland, Mexico, Uruguay, Belgium, Bolivia, Netherlands, and Suriname	Christianity → Catholicism
Macushi	Cariban → Macushi	Guyana, Brazil		Shamanism
Mapuche	Araucanian languages	Chile, Argentina	Huilliche, Moluche, Pehuenche	Christianity, Mapuche religion
Matawai	Indo-European → Germanic → English → Saramaccan	Suriname		Christianity → Moravian Church
Mennonites	Indo-European → Germanic → German, Dutch; Romance → Spanish	South America	Significant populations in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay	Christianity → Anabaptism → Mennonitism
Misak	Barbacoan → Northern Barbacoan → Coconucan → Nam Trik	Colombia		Traditional religion, Christianity → Catholicism
Muiscas	Chibchan → Chibcha	Colombia		Muisca religion, Christianity → Catholicism
Mojeños	Arawakan → Southern → Bolivia-Parana → Moxo languages	Bolivia	Mojeño-Trinitarios, Mojeño-Loretano, Mojeño-Javerianos, Mojeño-Ignacianos	Traditional religion, Christianity → Catholicism
Paramaccan	Indo-European → Germanic → English → Ndyuka	Suriname		Winti
Pardo	Indo-European → Romance → Portuguese	Brazil		Christianity → Catholicism
Pataxó	Macro-Jê → Maxakalian → Pataxó	Brazil		Shamanism
Piapoco	Arawakan → Upper Amazon Arawakan → Piapoco	Colombia, Venezuela		Traditional religion, Christianity → Catholicism
Potiguara	Tupian → Potiguara' Indo-European → Romance → Portuguese	Brazil		Shamanism
Quechua	Quechuan	Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina	Ayacucho, Cajamarca–Canaris, Central, Chachapoyas, Cusco, Inga, Huanca, Kichwa, Lamas, North Bolivian, Pacaraos, Puno, Santiagueno, South Bolivian	Christianity → Catholicism, Inca religion
Qulla	Quechuan → Quechua II → Southern Quechua	Qullaw		Christianity → Catholicism
Ramkokamekra	Macro-Je → Je → Canela	Brazil		Animism
Ranquel	Araucanian → Mapudungun → Ranquel	Argentina		Native American religion
Saramaka	Indo-European → Germanic → English → Saramaccan	Suriname		Winti, Christianity → Moravian Church
Selk'nam	Chonan → Selk'nam, Indo-European → Romance → Spanish	Tierra del Fuego		Animism, Christianity
Shiriana	Arawakan → Shiriana, Arutani language	Brazil, Venezuela	Auake	Animism
Shuar	Chicham → Shuar	Peru, Ecuador		Christianity, Shamanism, Animism
Siona	Tucanoan → Western Tucanoan → Siona	Ecuador, Colombia		Animism
Tapayuna	Macro-Jê → Jê → Tapayuna	Brazil		Ethnoreligion
Tehuelche	Chonan → Tehuelche, Araucanian → Mapudungun, Indo-European → Romance → Spanish	Argentina		Animism, Christianity
Terena	Arawakan → Terena; Brazilian Sign language; Terena Sign language	Brazil		Shamanism
Ticuna	Ticuna–Yuri → Ticuna	Brazil		Shamanism
Trumai	Trumai	Brazil		Animism
Tsimané	Macro-Panoan → Moseten–Chonan → Tsimané	Bolivia	Mosetén	Traditional tribal religion
Uru	Uru-Chipaya → Uru; Aymaran → Aymara	Bolivia, Peru		Christianity → Catholicism; Traditional Religion
Wayuu	Arawakan → Wayuunaiki	Colombia, Venezuela		Ethnic religion, Christianity → Catholicism
Wichí	Matacoan → Wichí-Chorote → Wichí languages	Argentina, Bolivia	Vejoz, Güisnay, Nocten
Xavante	Macro-Je → Je → Xavante	Brazil		Shamanism
Xerente	Macro-Je → Je → Xerente	Brazil		Christianity and traditional folk religion → Folk Catholicism
Xokleng	Macro-Je → Je → Xokleng	Brazil		Shamanism
Yahgan	Yahgan; Indo-European → Romance → Spanish	Tierra del Fuego		Christianity → Protestantism
Yanomami	Yanomaman	Southeastern Venezuela, and northern Brazil		Shamanism
Zoró	Tupian → Monde → Gavião of Jiparaná → Zoró	Brazil		Christianity