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Huaorani Blowgun
 


The Huaorani Indians of Ecuador in South America are one of the last indigenous Amazon tribes that still uses blowguns (blowpipes) to capture game by using poisonous curare darts. Note the oval-shaped gourd that is used to carry kapok cotton which is wrapped around the shaft of the dart making compression possible when blowing into the tube of the blowgun.  The cylindrical container is used as a quiver and contains the curare-tipped poison darts.  Note to the right, a piece of piranha jaw with teeth which is used to cut a notch around the shaft of the dart just below the cuare tip, thus allowing it to easily break at this notch, with the curare tip remaining inside the prey rather than being pulled out. 


 

 
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Photograph © Copyright 2007-2008 Jacek Palkiewicz,  all rights reserved
Text © Copyright 2007-2008 Amazon-Tribes.com,  all rights reserved, Huaorani Blowgun