Tacana in Bolivia

Introduction / History

The Incan Empire had contact with the Tacana people. In 1680 the Franciscans contacted the Tacana, but they didn’t start a series of missions until 1731. In the 19th and early 20th century the Tacana made their living by extracting rubber and cinchona, a medicinal tree. They live in in northern Bolivia.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Tacana families are patrilineal which means inheritance comes from the father’s side of the family. They usually have nuclear families. One or two families work together to plant and harvest crops, but they also hunt and fish. Each unit plants rice, corn, bananas, cassava and cash crops. To protect their land interests, they established the Indigenous Council of the Tacana People (CIPTA).

Partly because they have generations of sustainable farming and care for the forests in their background, the Tacana are used by the Bolivian government as land managers. Members of this community are at the forefront for stopping deforestation in Bolivia.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Though there is a Roman Catholic element to their spirituality, the Tacana are mainly animistic.

What Are Their Needs?

Like other peoples in this region, they need their spiritual beliefs to be guided by the Bible and by the only savior, Jesus Christ.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to bless the Tacana people physically and spiritually.

Pray for Tacana disciples to make more disciples.

Pray their efforts to save the local forests will be useful for others.

Text Source:   Joshua Project