 Area of the Gran Chaco | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 300,000 (est. 2010) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay | |
| Languages | |
| See text | |
| Religion | |
| traditional tribal religion, Catholicism, Protestantism, atheism |
The indigenousGran Chaco people consist of approximately thirty-five tribal groups in theGran Chaco of South America. Because, like theGreat Plains of North America, the terrain lent itself to anomadic lifestyle, there is little to no archaeological evidence of their prehistoric occupation. Contributing to this near-absence of archaeological data is the lack of suitable raw material for stone tools or permanent construction and soil conditions that are not conducive to the preservation of organic material.[1][2]
The actual cultural area of the Gran Chaco peoples differs from that of the geographic Gran Chaco. The northwestern boundary of the cultural area is theParapetí River and the marshes of the Bañados de Izozog depression, beyond which were the lands of the cultural unrelatedChané andChiriguano. The cultural boundaries have not been static, even during historical times. In the late 17th century the area expanded to the east across theParaguay River, when theMbayá invaded the lands between theApa River and theMiranda River inMato Grosso do Sul province in Brazil.[3]
The tribal groups of the Gran Chaco fall into sixlanguage families:[4]
Many of the languages are part of aChaco linguistic area. Common Chaco areal features includeSVO word order andactive-stative verbalignment.[5] (See alsoMataco–Guaicuru languages.)