Yanomamö "Cannibalism"

The Yanomamö are historically a tribe of "endocannibals", which means that they eat their own people. This rare form of cannibalism usually only occurs after death. This is a custom which the Yanomamö believed in. The body of the deceased is set afire in a remote region away from the village, and then the remaining bones and ash are turned into a fine powder which is mixed into a beverage. The beverage is then consumed by the deceased person's relatives. This "drinking of the dead" is thought to be the way for the deceased's soul to enter the body of their living descendants, thus providing spiritual and physical strength to combat the evils of the jungle.

Although the Yanomamö are known as endocannibals, they are aggressive and a violent clan. Anyone considered as being "other" than the tribe, is considered to be subhuman. Inorder to not take the risk of being invaded by other tribes, Yanomamö will do anything including kidnapping, rapping, killing and abusing.

The Yanomamö live in small bands or tribes and live in round communal huts called shabonos, which are actually made up of individual living quarters. Clothes are minimal, and much of their daily life revolves around gardening, hunting, making crafts and visiting with one another. These small tribes hold their men in high ranks. Chiefs are always men who are held responsible for the general knowledge and safety of the group’s women.