Gustavo Tabares

Sound installation, 2014
Ethnic group: Charrúa
Language: Charrúa
Speaker: Nancy Ramos Boerr

Location: Uruguay, Río de la Plata and southern Brazil
Population: Although they are considered extinct, there are a significant, though inexact number of descendants of several tribes living within Uruguayan territory (Charrúa, Chaná, Guenoa, Guaraní, Bohanes, Yaros etc) who, in reality, comprise 4.5% of the population, according to a household survey performed by the National Institute of Statistics (2006). In it 115,118 people identified themselves as being descended from indigenous peoples. Furthermore, quite a significant number of Charrúa descendants live in the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco; as well as in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In Argentina 4,511 people identified themselves as Charrúas, none of whom were living in communities. Presently, it is calculated that in Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina there are about between 160,000 and 300,000 Charrúa descendants, all of whom are of mixed race. Level of extinction: Culturally extinct

>> Sound

Charrúas is the name given to one of the native Peoples who lived on the northern strip of the River Plate, when Europeans arrived in the region. Throughout the colonial period they inhabited different territories, which included both the present Republic of Uruguay, and regions to the south of Brazil and in the north-east of the Argentine Republic. They interacted during this time with the European occupier and native alike, until the beginnings of the Republic, where in 1831, the remaining survivors were attacked and exterminated or whose numbers were irreversibly reduced. A significant number of prisoners, notably women and children would be integrated into society, as an ongoing process of assimilation and miscegenation of long standing. Unfortunately, their early disappearance prevented all knowledge of their language, with only a few isolated words and short phrases, which were insufficient to reconstruct and become acquainted with their language. As in the case of almost all the peoples of the region, their language was broadly influenced by Guaraní, to the point where the word "Charrúa" by which the latter group was designated, is a derogatory expression in the Guarani language referring to the aforementioned indigenous people, with whom they frequently were at odds.

Text and translation into English: Leonel Cabrera

Numbers:
YU - One
SAM - Two
DETÍ - Three
BETUM - Four
BETUM YU - Five
BETUM SAM - Six
BETUM DETI - Seven
BETUM ARTA SAM - Eight
BAQUIÚ - Nine
GUAROJ - Ten

Fauna:
BERÁ - Rhea
JUAL - Horse
TROFONI - Crested Screamer
CHIBI- Cat
MAUTIBLÁ - Armadillo
PERACAT - Seal
QUIRNUBATA - shad
BELERA - Cow
PRIAIRE - Type of fish

Flora:
SISI - Tobacco
LAJÁN - Umbu (type of tree)

Human Body:
IS - Head
ITAJ - Hair
IBAR - Nose
IMAN - Ear
I-JOU - Eye
EJ - Mouth
ISBAJ - Arm
GUAR - Hand
CARACÚ - Leg
ATIT - Foot

Family Relations:
INCHALÁ - Brother
GUAMANAI - Brother-in-law
ITOJMAN - Boy
CHALONÁ - Girl

Verbs:
BABU - To attack
GOMALAT - Throttle
ASAGANUP - To regret
BABULAI - To hunt with bolas
BAJINÁ - Walk
ILABUM - ANDO DIABUM- Sleep
BASQUADÉ - To get up
AU - Kill
ANDÓ - Go
MISIAJALANA - Remain still

Others:
MAR - Much, many
BACU - Less
CODÍ - Traitor
GUIDAÍ - Moon
ZOBA - Moon
HUÉ - Water
IT - Fire
SEPÉ - Superior, Sacred, Wise
WALICXE - Witchcraft
JALANA - Noise
ARTA - Times
BILÚ - Pretty
TINÚ - Knife
QUICÁN - Cane
AFIA - Bow
PIRI - Awning
QUILLAPÍ - A cape made of leather
LAI - Boleadora (type of lasso used for hunting
LAIDETI - Lasso type hunting instrument with 3 interconnected cords with stone or metal balls at the end
LAIUSAM - Lasso type hunting instrument with 2 interconnected cords with stone or metal balls at the end
BABULAI - Caught by a boleador
PACAHOCAF - Martín García Island

© Photo: Gustavo Tabares
Gustavo Tabares: * 1968 Montevideo, Uruguay; lives there.