Sanumá
Indigenous people in Venezuela and Brazil
title: "Sanumá" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["ethnic-groups-in-brazil", "indigenous-peoples-in-brazil", "indigenous-peoples-in-venezuela"] description: "Indigenous people in Venezuela and Brazil" topic_path: "geography/brazil" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanumá" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Indigenous people in Venezuela and Brazil ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox ethnic group"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| group | Sanumá |
| native_name | Sanīma dībī |
| native_name_lang | xsu |
| image | File:Retrato Sanema.jpg |
| image_caption | Sanumá girl |
| total | 6,410 |
| total_year | 1995 |
| total_source | Ethnologue |
| regions | Venezuela, Brazil |
| languages | Sanumá language |
| religions | Indigenous religion |
| related_groups | Yanomami |
| :: |
| group = Sanumá | native_name = Sanīma dībī | native_name_lang = xsu | image = File:Retrato Sanema.jpg | image_caption = Sanumá girl | total = 6,410 | total_year = 1995 | total_source = Ethnologue | total_ref = | regions = Venezuela, Brazil | languages = Sanumá language | religions = Indigenous religion | related_groups = Yanomami | footnotes = The Sanumá, or Sanīma dībī, are an Indigenous people of Brazil and Venezuela. They are related to the Yanomami.
In 1995, the Sanumá numbered about 6,410, with about 3,200 living in Venezuela, and between 900 and 1,000 living in Brazil. In Venezuela, they live in the Caura River and Ventuari River basins where they reside alongside the Ye'kuana.
Language
The Sanumá language is a Yanomaman language.
Names
The Sanumá's autonym is Sanīma dībī, which means "people plural (more than two)" in their Sanumá language. They are also referred to as Sanema, Sanima Tsanuma, Guaika, Samatari, Samatali, Xamatari, and Chirichano in literature.
Community structure
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Yanomaman.svg" caption="Map of Yanomaman language–speakers. The Sanumá people's territory is marked in red-brown in the northwest."] ::
In Sanumá society, decisions are made by consensus. The village owns land in common.
Historically, the Sanumá settled in villages that they moved every two to three years.
Conflicts with miners
On 24 October 2006, their reserve in Venezuela was invaded by miners who destroyed some of their villages. In retaliation, the Venezuelan army killed 10 miners. This incident led to mass protests by non-Indians in Southern Venezuela.
References
References
- (2018-12-09). "Enciclopédia dos Alimentos Yanomami (Sanöma): Cogumelos. Edited by R. M. Apiamö, J. Autuori, N. K. Ishikawa, M. S. Martins, N. Menolli Jr., C. Sanuma, L. R. Sanuma, M. Sanuma, O. I. Sanuma, & K. Tokimoto. 2016. Instituto Socioambiental, São Paulo. 108 pp.". Ethnobiology Letters.
- Gomez, Gale Goodwin. (1998-01-01). "Indigenous Rights and the Case of the Yanomami Indians in Brazil". Brill {{!}} Nijhoff.
- (31 December 1976). "The Yanoama Indians". University of Texas Press.
- "Database for Indigenous Cultural Evolution". University of Missouri.
- "The Sanema".
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