Tsimané

The Tsimané are an indigenous population of 11,000 forager-horticulturalists in the Bolivian Amazon. Tsimané subsistence relies on small-scale horticulture, hunting, fishing, foraging, with more acculturated villages beginning to integrate into market economies.

Mosetén

The Mosetén of lowland Bolivia share the same language family as the Tsimané, and traditionally practiced similar subsistence strategies, but were missionized by Jesuits several centuries ago. The Mosetén are fluent in Spanish and regularly participate in market integration and cash cropping.

Shuar

The Shuar are Amazonian forager-horticulturalists living in the Andean foothills of Ecuador. They traditionally practiced similar subsistence strategies to the Tsimané and Mosetén, but have had greater exposure to Ecuadorian nationals (Colonos) and thus have experienced more intense levels of market integration.

Aché

Up until the 1970’s the Aché of Eastern Paraguay were full-time “egalitarian” hunter-gatherers relying on hunting, gathering honey, and foraging for palm starch. Traditionally the Aché lived in small mobile bands, but most Ache currently live in semi-permanent reservations and practice small-scale horticulture.

Sanöma

The Sanöma forager-horticulturalists (population ~1,500) are an offshoot of the Yanomami who live in the neo-tropical Venezuelan forests of the Caura and Ventuan River basin.

Solomon Islands

Indigenous groups in the Roviania and Vonavona Lagoon areas of the Western Solomon Islands traditionally relied on maritime fishing and harvesting strategies. The advent of protected marine conservation areas and other changes in the way these aquatic environments are managed have begun to modify the traditional lifeway’s of Solomon Islanders.