In this lesson, learn about the Arawak peoples, an indigenous culture from South America and the Caribbean. Explore their religion, language, family, food, and other aspects of their culture. Also, discover the different art forms they developed. Updated: 01/09/2020
The Arawak People
The Arawak were once a prosperous culture with a population estimated in the millions…until the Spanish arrival. After one century, they were just over 30,000. Today, only a few groups remain, scattered mostly in isolated areas.
The Arawak are an indigenous people that are believed to have originated in the basin of the Orinoco River, in Venezuela. They populated large areas of South America and the Caribbean Antilles. The two largest tribes were the Taíno, living in the Caribbean, and the Lokono in South America.
With the start of colonization, most of the population died from new illnesses. Many others were murdered or died defending their land. Today, small Arawak communities survive in Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Guyana, and Ecuador, but are very limited in number.
Other indigenous groups emerged from the Arawak and live further south in Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil, sharing a similar language. The Wayuu is the largest community with Arawak roots, located in an arid region of Northern Venezuela and Colombia. However, their culture has been deeply transformed since colonial times and is now distant from the traditional Arawak.
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Culture & Language
The Arawak were peaceful people that lived from hunting and agriculture and kept constant trade with neighboring communities. The Arawak is a family of dialects spoken by the Arawak peoples. By the time the Spanish arrived, it was widely used in the Americas. There are many varieties, but all share common characteristics, like the distinction between plurals, masculine and feminine words, and the use of prefixes and suffixes added to basic words to form more complex ideas. Some words from Arawak have been incorporated into Spanish; like iguana, batata (sweet potato), and caníbal (cannibal), among others.
Family & Food
The Arawak lived in small communities, and each had a leader, the cacique. The men often had two or three wives, and the cacique had many more; because of his status, it was an honor for women to be married to him. In some groups, the men lived separately from the women and children. The tasks were differentiated, and men usually went hunting and prepared the fields, while women cooked and took care of the crops.
The Arawak fished and hunted all types of wild animals, including capybaras, snakes, iguanas, and birds. Their agricultural system was the conuco, a mound of earth covered with leaves to protect the soil, in which seeds from different species were sown. This allowed for something to be harvested, regardless of what happened during the season. The main ingredient of their diet was cassava, and they also ate beans, sweet potatoes, and fruits. Tobacco was a common product for religious ceremonies.
Small steps toward integration
The fire alarm system duct d
As building technology advances, having separate control networks for each system becomes more expensive and complex. Owners are asking for more features and integration to reduce operating costs and simplify operations. We have come a long way from pneumatic controls, and the pace of change is accelerating. The next step is to knock down the silos of disciplines that still are doing their own thing, and instead start thinking holistically (see Figure 2).
Standards for integration
Electrical and HVAC design integration is guided by standards such as those developed by Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA), and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
CSI Division 25, Integrated Automation, covers systems including building automation, energy-management optimization, lighting, room scheduling, fire detection and suppression, security, information technology (IT)/telecommunications, elevators, audio/video systems, and others. According to CSI, IA systems should be able to include renewable energy monitoring and control and be designed for single or multiple buildings.