Pets of Indigenous Groups of Amazonia and Orinocia: Relationships between Humans and Animals

Abstract

The relationship between humans and animals among the indigenous groups of the Amazon and Orinocia is very different from that in an urbanized society. There are differences in the ways that humans position themselves in relation to nature and the animal world, in what emotions they manifest towards pets and how they manifest them, as well as in how they use their natural skills and instincts. The pets of the indigenous groups of the Amazon and Orinocia can be subdivided into several groups: service pets, family pets, and mythologized pets. With each of these groups, people have a characteristic relationship, the analysis of which allows for a better understanding of the nature and behavior of humans, such as those of the indigenous groups of the Amazon and Orinocia in particular.