Sanumá


The Sanumá, or Sanīma dībī, are an Indigenous people of Brazil and Venezuela. They are related to the Yanomami.
In 1995, the Sanumá numbered about 6,410, with about 3,200 living in Venezuela, and between 900 and 1,000 living in Brazil. In Venezuela, they live in the Caura River and Ventuari River basins where they reside alongside the Ye'kuana.

Language

The Sanumá language is a Yanomaman language.

Names

The Sanumá's autonym is Sanīma dībī, which means "people plural " in their Sanumá language. They are also referred to as Sanema, Sanima Tsanuma, Guaika, Samatari, Samatali, Xamatari, and Chirichano in literature.

Community structure

In Sanumá society, decisions are made by consensus. The village owns land in common.
Historically, the Sanumá settled in villages that they moved every two to three years.

Conflicts with miners

On 24 October 2006, their reserve in Venezuela was invaded by miners who destroyed some of their villages. In retaliation, the Venezuelan army killed 10 miners. This incident led to mass protests by non-Indians in Southern Venezuela.