The Cholones are a tribe of
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
n Indians in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
, living on the left bank of the
Huallaga River
The Huallaga River is a tributary of the Marañón River, part of the Amazon Basin. Old names for this river include ''Guallaga'' and ''Rio de los Motilones''. The Huallaga is born on the slopes of the Andes in central Peru and joins the Marañón ...
in the
Amazon valley
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology co ...
. The name
is that given them by the
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 ...
. They were first met by the
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
s, who established mission villages among them in 1676.
Life
Cholones were living in the district of Tingo Maria, having their own language, Tinganeses, Seeptsa, which was formerly spoken in the valley of Huallaga River from Tingo Maria to Valle. In 1985 there were only one or two speakers of Tinganeses, Seeptsa. Father Francisco Gutierrez of Franciscans composed a work on their language. Cholones believe that carrying the poisonous tooth of a serpent is a protection against the bite of a serpent.
Economy and trade
The common economic pursuits of Cholones include agriculture, hunting, and fishing. Women were engaged in cultivating cotton and weaving. For centuries, the lowland Cholones had trade relations with the highland Hibitos across the bank of the Huallaga river. Some of the important products, which were generally traded, include feather, wax, honey, stone and metal axes, coca, cotton, hardwoods and medicinal herbs.
References
Indigenous peoples in Peru
Indigenous peoples of the Amazon
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