Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Charrúa
(Delaunois, 1832)
ers preferred to live in the vicinity of their ancestors' burial sites, but
over time they were forced to move and adjust to one another. And
the paucity of resources discouraged the Spaniards, who avoided the
Gran Chaco for more than 300 years, especially after some early and
disastrous encounters with these hunting peoples.
The Charrúa
Another major group of southern hunters who were to have early
hostile relations with the Europeans were the Charrúa. These peoples
consisted of five distinct groupings, all of whom were related linguis-
tically and who inhabited the region of present-day Uruguay, southern
Brazil, and northeastern Argentina. The Charrúa, like other southern
hunters, shared a disdain of agriculture and lived on game, fish, wild
fruits, and roots. They made their houses of woven mats hung between
pole frames. The Charrúa dressed in skins during the winter and
wore a leather apron in the summer; the males tattooed and painted
their bodies, particularly before battle. The Charrúa also pierced
their lips, ears, and noses, in which they placed feathers and shells.
They built large canoes for fishing on the rivers and in the estuary
