Abipón people
Encyclopedia
The Abipones were an indigenous nation of Argentina
's Gran Chaco
, part of the Guaycuru languages linguistic group. They ceased to exist as an ethnic group in the early 19th century. A small number of survivors assimilated into Argentine society.
, east of the Paraná River
They were originally a seasonally mobile people of hunters, gatherers, fishers and to a limited extent farmers.
In 1641 the Abipones had already obtained the horse from the Spanish settlers and abandoned farming for cattle and horse raiding. By that time they still lived north of the Bermejo River
They became feared by their neighbours and the Spanish
farmers, and even threatened major cities.
It is likely they were driven south of their original range by the Spaniards and other native tribes, such as the Tobas
. They were finally concentrated in the Argentinian territory lying between Santa Fe
and Santiago del Estero
, between the Rio Bermejo on the north and the Salado River on the south.
From 1710 a major military effort by the Spanish began gradually to impose authority on the Abipones. By 1750 Jesuit missions had been established among them (chiefly by Martin Dobrizhoffer
, who had been a missionary in Paraguay for eighteen years), and they had been Christianized and forced to become sedentary. The colonies had incessant trouble with Spanish settlers, and were often raided by the Tobas and the Moobobis, another warlike tribe.
By 1768 over half of the Abipones had succumbed to disease. and they numbered not more than 5,000. The expuslion of the Jesuits by the Spaniards in that year was fatal for the Abipones. When they attempted to resume their former lifestyles they found their traditional lands occupied by settlers and other nations. The Tobas and Moobobis, aided by disease, destroyed them as a nation in the course of less than half a century. The survivors assimilated into the general Argentinian population. They learned to speak Spanish
, and abandoned their old customs.
The last speaker of the Abipón language
is believed to have died in the 19th century.
ed with black figures of various designs, and the lips and ears of both sexes were pierced. The men were brave fighters, their chief weapons being the bow and spear. Even Abipón women were reputedly aggressive and held considerable power in their people's religious rites. In battle the Abipones wore an armour of tapir's hide over which a jaguar's skin was sewn.
The Abipones were good swimmers and horsemen. During the five months of the floods season, they lived on islands or even in shelters built in the trees.
The Abipones seldom married before the age of thirty, and were singularly chaste. Charles Darwin
reported that "With the Abipones when a man chooses a wife, he bargains with the parents about the price. But it frequently happens that the girl rescinds what has been agreed upon between the parents and bridegroom, obstinately rejecting the very mention of marriage. She often runs away and hides herself, and thus eludes the bridegroom." Infanticide
was systematic, never more than two children being reared in one family. The young were suckled for two years.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
's Gran Chaco
Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semi-arid lowland region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, where it is connected with the Pantanal region...
, part of the Guaycuru languages linguistic group. They ceased to exist as an ethnic group in the early 19th century. A small number of survivors assimilated into Argentine society.
History
The Abipones originally occupied the Chaco region of ParaguayParaguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, east of the Paraná River
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
They were originally a seasonally mobile people of hunters, gatherers, fishers and to a limited extent farmers.
In 1641 the Abipones had already obtained the horse from the Spanish settlers and abandoned farming for cattle and horse raiding. By that time they still lived north of the Bermejo River
Bermejo River
The Bermejo River is a river in South America that flows from Bolivia to the Paraguay River in Argentina. The river is generally called Bermejo in spite of its different names along its way, but it also has its own Native American names; in Wichí it is called Teuco, and in Guaraní it is called Ypitá...
They became feared by their neighbours and the Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
farmers, and even threatened major cities.
It is likely they were driven south of their original range by the Spaniards and other native tribes, such as the Tobas
Toba (tribe)
The Toba are an ethnic group in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. They are part of a larger group of indigenous inhabitants of the Gran Chaco region, called the Guaycurues. As of 2005, there are 47,951 Toba in Argentina, living in the provinces of Chaco, Formosa and Santa Fe.The Toba name themselves...
. They were finally concentrated in the Argentinian territory lying between Santa Fe
Santa Fe Province
The Invincible Province of Santa Fe, in Spanish Provincia Invencible de Santa Fe , is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco , Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero...
and Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero Province
Santiago del Estero is a province of Argentina, located in the north of the country. Neighbouring provinces are from the north clockwise Salta, Chaco, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca and Tucumán.-History:...
, between the Rio Bermejo on the north and the Salado River on the south.
From 1710 a major military effort by the Spanish began gradually to impose authority on the Abipones. By 1750 Jesuit missions had been established among them (chiefly by Martin Dobrizhoffer
Martin Dobrizhoffer
Martin Dobrizhoffer was an Austrian Roman Catholic missionary.Dobrizhoffer was born in Frymburk in Czech Republic. He joined the Society of Jesus in 1736, and in 1749 proceeded to Paraguay, where for eighteen years he worked devotedly first among the Guaranis, and then among the Abipones...
, who had been a missionary in Paraguay for eighteen years), and they had been Christianized and forced to become sedentary. The colonies had incessant trouble with Spanish settlers, and were often raided by the Tobas and the Moobobis, another warlike tribe.
By 1768 over half of the Abipones had succumbed to disease. and they numbered not more than 5,000. The expuslion of the Jesuits by the Spaniards in that year was fatal for the Abipones. When they attempted to resume their former lifestyles they found their traditional lands occupied by settlers and other nations. The Tobas and Moobobis, aided by disease, destroyed them as a nation in the course of less than half a century. The survivors assimilated into the general Argentinian population. They learned to speak Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and abandoned their old customs.
The last speaker of the Abipón language
Abipón language
The Abipón language was a native American language of the Mataco–Guaycuru family that was at one time spoken in Argentina by the Abipón people. Its last speaker is thought to have died in the 19th century.-Consonants:- Vowels :-Bibliography:...
is believed to have died in the 19th century.
Appearance and customs
According to Martin Dobrizhoffer, who lived lived among them for a period of seven years, the Abipones were a well-formed, handsome people, with black eyes and aquiline noses, and thick black hair. They had most of the customs of the Guaycuru, including the couvade. They plucked out their hair from the forehead to the crown, as a tribal mark. The faces, breasts and arms of the women were tattooTattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
ed with black figures of various designs, and the lips and ears of both sexes were pierced. The men were brave fighters, their chief weapons being the bow and spear. Even Abipón women were reputedly aggressive and held considerable power in their people's religious rites. In battle the Abipones wore an armour of tapir's hide over which a jaguar's skin was sewn.
The Abipones were good swimmers and horsemen. During the five months of the floods season, they lived on islands or even in shelters built in the trees.
The Abipones seldom married before the age of thirty, and were singularly chaste. Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
reported that "With the Abipones when a man chooses a wife, he bargains with the parents about the price. But it frequently happens that the girl rescinds what has been agreed upon between the parents and bridegroom, obstinately rejecting the very mention of marriage. She often runs away and hides herself, and thus eludes the bridegroom." Infanticide
Infanticide
Infanticide or infant homicide is the killing of a human infant. Neonaticide, a killing within 24 hours of a baby's birth, is most commonly done by the mother.In many past societies, certain forms of infanticide were considered permissible...
was systematic, never more than two children being reared in one family. The young were suckled for two years.