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Photo of Amazon River People from South America. Note the feline teeth
used as an ornamental necklace. Felines are important in the cosmology
and religion of Amazon River People. The Waorani identify themselves
closely with felines such as the jaguar
(Panthera onca).
Traditional Amazonians are animists. That is, they believe that animal
spirits or souls inhabit the world around us and can determine one's luck in
hunting, sickness or health, and even life or death. In the animistic
world view of hunter-gatherer societies, humans are often regarded as being
on a level more or less equal to that of animals. Consequently, Amazon
River People commonly believe that it is important to treat these entities
with respect as they can be very powerful. In the animist's worldview, humans are considered to be an integral part of natural forces, rather
than being superior to or apart from nature. Consequently, Amazon
River People have many rituals and taboos with respect to hunting and
animals. Amazon River People who are hunter-gatherers realize that
they need to kill animals in order to survive, but they believe that the
spirits of dead animals live on and must be appeased or the animal spirits
could harm them in retaliation.
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