The Araona people are an ethnic group in Bolivia. Their population was 228 according to the 2012 census. Their language is the

Araona language Araona or Cavina is an indigenous language spoken by the South America Araona people; about 90% of the 90 Araona people are fluent (W. Adelaar). Use of the language amongst the tribe is considered vigorous although Spanish knowledge is increasing ...

which is spoken by 711 people although many speak

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

as well. The Araonans live in the headwaters of the Manupari river in northwest

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

. According to

Alfred Métraux Alfred Métraux (5 November 1902 – 12 April 1963) was a Swiss and Argentine anthropologist, ethnologist and human rights leader. Early life Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, Métraux spent much of his childhood in Argentina where his father was a ...

the Araona people and the

Cavineño people The Cavineño People (also ''Cavina, Cavineña, Cavinenyo, Cavinya,'' ''Kaviña'') are an ethnic group in Bolivia. They mainly live along the Beni River, Beni and Madidi River, Madidi rivers. There were 3,884 of them in 2012 of whom 1,173 speak th ...

are so intermixed with other Takanan-speaking peoples that it can be difficult to treat them separately.

History

The first written historical mention of the Araona people comes from the Franciscan missionaries Manuel Mancini and Fidel Codenach in January 1867. They were however unable to found any place for their mission in this area of the La Paz department. There were too many difficulties and risks presented. The Araona were the most populous ethnic group in the region at the time. At the end of the 19th century the Araona were one of many indigenous groups who were displaced from their villages and used as slaves for the rubber industry. Between the Manorimi and Monopare Rivers the surviving Araona established themselves in various settlements. In 1965, Protestant Evangelical activists and missionaries from the ''

SIL International SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics) is an evangelical Christian non-profit organization whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to ex ...

'' created a permanent settlement and cooperated with the Araona communities to establish links with other indigenous groups.

References

{{Authority control Ethnic groups in Bolivia