The Maco Project

The Maco tribe lives in the center of the state of Amazonas, Venezuela. They are located on the Ventuari River and its tributaries. The population of the tribe is estimated to be 2,250.

The Maco inhabit varying sized villages in both jungle and savannah areas. They plant gardens in which they grow many jungle fruits and vegetables. Mining and selling of gold is a cash source for them. Dugouts, sometimes with motors, are their source of transportation.

The Maco people are a timid people. They do not get involved in warfare, and they are not violent at all, except at times when they get drunk and angry about something. A few of the older men have more than one wife, but it seems that the younger generation prefers to be monogamous. Unlike many tribes, the Maco women are respected and treated as equal to the men. Both men and women work quite hard simply to have food to eat on a day-to-day basis.

The Maco get their food principally from two sources - their gardens, and the river. They make gardens using the slash and burn method where a small section ofjungle is cut down and left to dry for several months. Then they bum the site and plant their garden among the burned-out fallen trees. The Maco are hard workers, and their gardens produce quite a crop. The main food they grow is the yucca plant, but they also grow bananas, pineapple,sugarcane, sweet potatoes, and jungle fruits. Oftentimes the Maco will spend several weeks at their garden sites, working and just enjoying their time alone as a family, much like a North American family might spend a couple of weeks at their summer cottage.

But above all else, the Maco are fishers. Rarely will a meal go by in which something from the river is not eaten. The Maco are fortunate enough to live on a river that has plenty of fish, alligators, and turtles. They make their boats out of hardwood trees, finding a likely tree, chopping it down, then whittling away at it until it looks roughly like the outside of a canoe. Then they roll it over and chop out the inside of the tree. After that they build a fire both inside the tree, and around the outside so that the wood heats up enough that they are able to stretch it into the shape of a canoe. It is a very time-consuming job, demanding much skill. The final product is extremely heavy, but also very durable and functional.

The Ventuari River flows mostly North to South through Amazonas State, in the southern part of Venezuela. It is a river shared by several tribal groups, but the middle area is Maco territory. An accurate census of the Maco tribe has never been done, but it is our estimate that there are between 2000-3000 Maco total.

They speak their own language, but are a cousin to a nearby tribe called the Piaroa tribe. The Maco believe that the creator of the world is the tapir. They believe that all Maco people go to the same place when they die - a place inside certain rocks and mountains where people eat and drink and visit and live enjoyable lives. They believe in the power of witchdoctors to transform themselves into animals and to send animals to hurt or kill people. They also believe witchdoctors have the power to thwart evil spirits, and to diagnose and heal sicknesses.

But none of the younger generation has shown interest in learning witchcraft, and most of the old witchdoctors have died off. As a result, the Maco feel weak and vulnerable to the attacks from witchdoctors of other tribes. Perhaps that is why they have shown such an interest in hearing the Word of God.

The Maco Team

From Left to Right: Davey & Marie Jank, Phylis Gordon, Jackie & Joe Bruce with children and newborn, Elvia Ulacio, Bruce & Cindy Higham

The work was opened up by Tim Fyock and Davey Jank in 1992.

0 churches have been established among the Maco through the ministry of New Tribes Mission. At this time, there are no believers. The Maco have been religiously influenced by a neighboring tribe. Some of the Maco have attempted to learn this other tribe's language, but they lack in understanding. The missionaries feel that the Maco have nothing but a "form" and syncretism.