 Caiçara onCardoso island,São Paulo | |
| Languages | |
|---|---|
| Caiçara dialect | |
| Religion | |
| PredominantlyRoman Catholic | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Paulistas,Portugueses andBrazilian indigenous |
Caiçaras (Portuguese pronunciation:[kajˈsaɾɐs]) are apeople who inhabit the coastlines of theBrazilian states ofParaná,São Paulo andSanta Catarina,[1] and the municipalities ofParaty andAngra dos Reis, in the south ofRio de Janeiro. They were formed from the intermixing ofIndigenous,Africans andPortuguese people. The main basis of Caiçara culture is artisanal fishing, cultivation of small gardens, hunting, plant extraction and handicrafts.[2]
The namecaiçara comes from theTupi languageka'aysá (orka'aysara), a rustic fence made of tree branches.[3] The fences would surround a village, or would be used for trapping fish. Over time it came to be used for the huts built on the beaches,[clarification needed] and then for the inhabitants.[4]
The people are of mixed African, indigenous, and European origins. Their origins and customs are similar to thecaipiras who live further inland.[5] In literature the caiçaras are represented as traditional, primitive, isolated and self-sufficient fishing people. This is an inaccurate stereotype, since it was only with the arrival of motor boats and fishing vessels in the 20th century that the communities were led to partly or entirely abandon agriculture in favour of fishing.[6]
The caiçaras make their living through artisan fishery, agriculture, hunting, gathering, crafts and more recentlyecotourism. Activities are preferably based on a calendar based on phases of the moon.Agriculture is based on the coivara system, a sustainable technique handed down by the Indians. A clearing in the forest is cut and burned, planted for three years, then lies fallow for three to ten years before being reused. Common crops are sweet and bitter cassava, beans, corn, rice, sugarcane and bananas.[5]
Other subsistence activities are hunting, trapping and fishing with rods, nets and traps. Hunted, trapped or snared animals includeagouti,armadillo,coati,capybara andpeccary. Hunted birds include thetinamou,black-fronted piping guan andtoucan. Hunting has been illegal since the 1980s.[5]
The traditional lifestyle of the native population is threatened by real estate speculation and over-fishing. The caiçaras are vulnerable due to high levels of illiteracy, lack of education and information, lack of organization into groups and lack of communication methods such as telephones or even mail.[5]
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