Introduction / History

There are various Arara subgroups, separated by dialect and location. The Arara do Para have that name because of their dialect and their location in the state of Para. The Arara languages are from the Karib family of languages. These subgroups have been scattered through the decades by rubber tappers and foreign hunters.

The nomadic Arara people were always known as great warriors and hunters. They would use body parts of their enemies for various trophies. In the 1940s they were thought to be extinct until Brazil was building the Trans-Amazonian Highway in the 1970s and they found the Araras were still around. They were driven off their land and relocated to three villages founded by the National Indian Foundation.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Arara do Para have a small population that is gradually growing. They have a vague term for a village. A village might be a cluster of homes or a single one.

Many live by farming. They grow manioc, bananas, pineapples, potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes.

They love music. Music is sometimes associated with guaranteeing success in a hunt.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Araras do Para have shamans that they believe interact with the spirit world on their behalf. They also believe in a God of Creation who has many parallels to the God of the Bible.

What Are Their Needs?

All Para groups need training. They have no choice but to interface with an advanced world, and they will need to learn new job skills.

Prayer Points

Pray for Christ followers to teach the Arara do Paras job skills that will help them adjust.
Pray for many to put their faith in Christ rather than rituals and the power of shamans.
Pray for God to provide for all their material and spiritual needs as a testimony of his power and goodness.

Scripture Prayers for the Arara do Para in Brazil.

References

https://pib.socioambiental.org/en/Povo:Arara
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arara_(Par%C3%A1)
https://minorityrights.org/communities/arara/