Piaroa

The Piaroa are an indigenous American ethnic group living along the banks of the Orinoco River and its tributaries in present day Venezuela, and in a few scattered locations elsewhere in Venezuela and in Colombia. The Piaroa number at a population of about 12,000.

In the past few decades, the Piaroa culture has nearly vanished. They are famed for their lack of hierarchy in their social structure. They are also regarded as one of the world's most peaceful societies, with murder a concept that is both unknown and entirely nonexistent. Their traditions and culture remains much of a mystery to us as little has been recorded. However for those with a genuine interest in Piaroa culture, the research of Joanna Overing, maybe of interest. We are grateful to her work and devotion to this beautiful culture. Please visit our Shamanism page for more information about the Piaroa culture.