Death
of a Nation
The Guaraní
Before the arrival of the Spanish colonialists, the Guaraní populated large areas of South America. Today, they have been expelled and pushed onto small reservations. The forest in which they found food and shelter is now permanently deforested and used for monoculture crops and pastures. The Guaraní are losing their habitat and, therefore, the source of their nutrition and subsistence. This has resulted in physical and mental health problems and a sharp increase in suicides.
Estimates vary, as to how old the culture of the Guaraní is. Anthropologists have found rock carvings in Paraguay dating back more than 5,000 years, as well as ceramics dating back to 400 BC.
The Guaraní probably originated in the Amazon region spreading south in search of new land, where they found the fertile plains. At the time of the European’s arrival, the Guaraní were the largest nation in South America, having settled in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. The Guaraní were hunter gatherers but also farmed and kept a small amount of cattle.
Was the search for new land the only reason for their migration?
Were they a nation of warriors, as "Guaraní" is commonly translated?
