Makushi - Settlements



Villages range in population from about 100 to 600 persons. There are about fifty villages, but some people live in isolated houses, on cattle ranches, or in the capital of Roraima. Makushi villages are located in the savannas, their traditional habitat, and they do not have a regular type. The houses are rectangular with roofs made of palm stems and walls of clay. This style of housing is common for poor people throughout the Amazon region. Some years ago, the Makushi house was typically square, round, or elliptical, either very small or very large, built for one family or sufficiently large to provide accommodation for many families. Today the houses accommodate only a few persons.


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