Akawaio - Orientation



Identification. The Akawaio are an American Indian group living along the Guyana-Venezuela border. "Kapon" (sky, kak; people, pon ) is the Akawaio name for themselves, which they share with the Patamona, their neighbors to the south. "Waika," "Serekon," and "Inkariko" are names applied by Pemon, Patamona, and Makushi neighbors.

Location. The principal Akawaio territory is the upper basin of the Mazaruni River and the Essequibo tributary rising in the Pakaraima Mountains on the Guyanese-Venezuelan border. Lying between 60° and 61°20′ W and 5°10′ to 6° N, it covers approximately 10,207 square kilometers. Settlements are at 470 to 610 meters. Rainfall averages 260 centimeters per year and is bimodal (i.e., there is a dry season and a wet season). There are a few Akawaio communities on the lower Mazaruni and lower Potaro rivers and two isolated villages, Kwabanna on the Waini River and Mabora on the upper Demerara. Several settlements are located on the Cotinga River, Brazil. Akawaio share villages with Pemon on the upper Cuyuni River, Venezuela. Isolated families live in a number of townships.

Demography. There is no reliable census, but unofficial estimates indicate a population of some 6,000 Akawaio in the upper Mazaruni and adjacent areas. There has been a considerable increase since the 1940s and 1950s, when they were estimated at 1,400 to 1,600, and 1969 estimate of 2,920 (including Kamarang River Pemon). In 1977, 2,700 were reported in the upper Mazaruni, 250 to 300 in the lowlands, 420 in Kwabanna, and 65 in Mabora. The 1982 Venezuelan Indigenous Census recorded 491 Akawaio in the Cuyuni region of Venezuela.

Linguistic Affiliation. The Kapon language is one of the Guiana Carib languages.


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