Pilima

---

title: "Pilima" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["indigenous-villages-in-french-guiana", "maripasoula", "villages-in-french-guiana"] topic_path: "geography/france" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilima" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
official_name	Pilima
other_name	Pidima
native_name
settlement_type
pushpin_map	French Guiana
pushpin_label_position	bottom
pushpin_map_caption	Location in French Guiana
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	France
subdivision_type1	Overseas region
subdivision_name1	French Guiana
subdivision_type2	Arrondissement
subdivision_name2	Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni
subdivision_type3	Commune
subdivision_name3	Maripasoula
leader_title1
established_title
established_title2
established_title3
area_total_km2
area_land_km2
population_as_of	2009
population_total	40
population_blank1_title	Ethnicities
coordinates
elevation_footnotes
postal_code_type
::

|official_name = Pilima |other_name = Pidima |native_name =
|nickname = |settlement_type = |motto = |image_skyline = |imagesize = |image_caption = |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_blank_emblem = |blank_emblem_type = |blank_emblem_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = |image_map1 = |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 = |image_dot_map = |pushpin_map = French Guiana |pushpin_label_position =bottom |pushpin_map_caption = Location in French Guiana |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = France |subdivision_type1 = Overseas region |subdivision_name1 = French Guiana |subdivision_type2 = Arrondissement |subdivision_name2 = Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni |subdivision_type3 = Commune |subdivision_name3 = Maripasoula |subdivision_type4 = |subdivision_name4 = |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |leader_title1 =
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|elevation_m = |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type =
|postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes = Pilima, also known as Pidima, is a Wayana village situated on the Litani River in French Guiana.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/NL-HaNA_2.24.45_11_0041_1-groot.jpg" caption="The Wayana prophet Pilima."] ::

Pilima was founded by the shaman or pïyai Pilima, son of former head captain Janomalë. Pilima sometimes clashed with the new head captain of Kawemhakan, Anapaikë, who, according to Pilima, pandered too much to the wishes of the Baptist missionaries. As a reaction to the missionary activities, Pilima started a prophetic movement that had the characteristics of a syncretic Christian cult: Pilima claimed to be in contact with Aramawali, a great spirit from the heavens who would send "heaven boats" from the sky to gather the Wayana who believed in him, and who would bring them to heaven where they would live an eternal life. Pilima imitated church rites and attempted to sing songs during ceremonies. A central aspect of the cult was the jumping in the water from a springboard, in an apparent reference to Christian baptism, which, according to Pilima, would help the Wayana overcome their fears, which stood in the way of their salvation by Aramawali. The cult died out after a while, and Pilima and the village returned to their earlier lives.

Education

A primary school opened in Pilima in 1997.

Geography

Pilima is the southernmost of all Wayana villages currently inhabited on the Litani River. It lies about 2.5 km upstream of the village of Palimino.

Notes

References

References

2. "École maternelle et élémentaire".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::