Chácobo - Orientation



Identification. The name "Chácobo" is of foreign origin. They refer to themselves as "Nó?ciria," which means "we who are truly ourselves." They have been mistaken for a subtribe of the Pacahuara along with the Sinabo, Capuibo, and Caripuna.

Location. In previous times the Chácobo core habitat was the northern margin of Lake Rogo Aguado and the upper course of the Rio Yata between 64° and 65° W and 12° and 13° S in northeastern Bolivia. Today the Chácobo are settled in two main concentrations: one on the middle course of the Río Yata and the other on the margins of the Ivon, an affluent of the Río Beni. This area includes dense forest and savanna. The climate is tropical with two marked seasons: a dry winter and a rainy summer that lasts from October to April, with precipitation fluctuating between 150 and 180 centimeters.

Demography. In 1845 the Chácobo were estimated to number about 300. According to the literature, in 1970 the population was 170. In the 1980s the total population of the two Chácobo concentrations was about 300.

Linguistic Affiliation. The Chácobo language belongs to the Panoan Family. Together with the Pakahuara, the Chácobo form the remaining two groups of the Southeastern Panoan tribes.


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