Ayoreo

The Ayoreo live in the Gran Chaco between the Paraguay, Pilcomayo and Parapetí rivers, with settlements in northern Paraguay (Alto Paraguay and Boquerón) and eastern Bolivia. Their language, Ayoreo, is of the Zamuco family, related to that of the Ishir. The Ayoreo-Totobiegosode are the last people in South America outside the Amazon with groups living in voluntary isolation; their territory, affected by deforestation, is a central concern.

Their craft includes bags of caraguatá fibre, palo santo plates and spoons, and feather art. Many of their traditions, such as rain rituals, were affected by evangelical missions. The voluntary isolation of the groups that maintain it must always be respected. If you want to approach their crafts, do so at the Instituto Paraguayo de Artesanía fairs or at the artisan houses the communities themselves open, and do not enter a community without an invitation and prior arrangement. To learn more, the Museo Etnográfico Dr. Andrés Barbero (Asunción) and the Centro de Artes Visuales / Museo del Barro, which holds an Indigenous art collection, are two starting points; check opening hours before you go.