The Charrúa People

Spend some time learning about the Charrúa, an Indigenous People or Nation of the Southern Core in present-day Uruguay. 🌎

The Southern Core represents a geographical and cultural sub-region made of the southernmost areas of South America, mostly south of the Tropic of Capricorn. The Charrúa relied on hunting and gathering.and were semi-nomadic. It is believed that today there are between 160,000 and 300,000 individuals in Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil who are descendants of the Charrúa.

There isn’t much documented or known about the life of the Charrúas before European arrival. It changed their way of life and they spent hundreds of years resisting territorial invasion. In 1831, the Uruguayan Army massacred these people as part of a campaign known as Campaña de Salsipuedes. Salsipuedes means leave if you can. They systematically organized a genocide in 3 waves. At the massacre of Salsipuedes, at least 40 were killed and 300 sold into slavery. There were also 4 survivors who were captured; a medicine man, a warrior, and a young couple. They were taken to Paris in 1833 for “research” and to be exhibited to the public as part of a human zoo. Within a year or so, they all died, including a baby girl born to the couple. The baby was given a French name, but her real name was María Mónica Micaëla Igualdad Libertad.

In 1985, a group of people started affirming and vindicating their Charrúan ancestry. In 1989, the Association of Decedents of the Charrúa Nation was formed to rescue, conserve, and promulgate the knowledge and presence of Indigenous peoples in Uruguay. In 2005, the Council of the Charrúa Nation was formed by 10 communities and organizations. This led to families and individuals coming out of hiding to publicly self-recognize themselves as Charrúa. In 2007, Brazil recognized them as an existing native people. In 2008, the city of Porto Alegre In Southern Brazil gained the status of a municipal Indigenous territory. Below is a fascinating article that talks about balancing and enacting Indigenous knowledge and views in a multi-cultural, large city.

Here's a quote from that article:

"We have understandings which lead our actions. The first is to believe and respect the political autonomy of the ethnicities that are here: Charruas, Guarani and Kaigang. The second is the understanding that not the Indigenous who are in the city but the cities have spread out above Indigenous territories. (...) The Indigenous are in their territories, which today are also cities. Hence there are overlapping territories. There is an Indigenous point of view about the world and there is a point of view of the national society about our world. We believe that the Indigenous are not out of their place - this is our first basic principle. The Indigenous are in the places where they always have been, in its occupation of long duration.”

The word Charrúa in Uruguay has also become an expression of strength, valour, pride, and victory. It means to display bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. 

🎶 Music options are limited, but one short song found is called “Charrúa Wind Riders”. It comes with some art, sayings, and this description:

"The Charrúa people held a deep spiritual connection to the natural landscape, seeing the earth, sky, and waters as sacred forces intertwined with their existence. They believed that nature was alive with spirits, from the towering ombú trees to the flowing rivers and vast plains. Animals, such as the jaguar and the condor, were not just creatures but symbols of power and wisdom, guiding warriors and shamans alike. The sun and moon dictated their rhythms, while the stars served as ancestral messengers, lighting the path of destiny. Every natural element had a role in their worldview, reinforcing the idea that humans were not separate from nature but an essential part of its eternal cycle. This reverence for nature extended into their spiritual practices and daily life. Shamans acted as intermediaries between the people and the forces of the land, interpreting visions from the wind and calling upon spirits for guidance. Rituals often took place near rivers, lagoons, and sacred groves, where offerings were made to honor the balance of life. The Charrúa also saw death not as an end but as a return to the earth, where the soul merged with the land that had sustained them. Through their deep respect for nature, they ensured harmony with the world around them, living in balance with the elements that had shaped their way of life for generations."

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Article: Attention: Indigenous area

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