Figure 1.-- One small non-Guarani Native American people is the Chamacoco / Ishír. They primarily live in the lightly populated Gran Choco area of norhern Paraguay along the Brazilian border. There are two major Chamacoco groups, the Ebytoso who lived along the Paraguay River and the Tomárahos (who traditionally lived away fron the River in the forests). The Ebytoso converted to Christianity, while the more isolated Tomáraho chose the more marginal areas for protection and to better preserve their culture. The Chamacoco sided with the Paraguayans in the Chaco War, but after the War faced increased incursions by Paraguayan settlers. The Instituto Nacional del Indigena (National Institute of Indigenous People -- INDI) forcibly settled the Tomáraho in a community called Puerto Esperanza with the Ebytoso. The total number of Chamacoco is less than 2,000 people. This photo photograph show some of Chamacoco people from Paraguay in the 1890s before the Chaco War. Photographer: Guido Bogiani.
There is also small numbers of other ehythic groups. The largest group is unassimilated Native Americans. Here the numbers vary widelly. Some estimates are as low as 1-3 percent. he actual number if you go by ethnicity rather than cultural behavior is probably much higher. One small non-Guarani Native American people is the Chamacoco / Ishír. They primarily live in the lightly populated Gran Choco area of norhern Paraguay along the Brazilian border. There are two major Chamacoco groups, the Ebytoso who lived along the Paraguay River and the Tomárahos (who traditionally lived away fron the River in the forests). The Ebytoso converted to Christianity, while the more isolated Tomáraho chose the more marginal areas for protection and to better preserve their culture. The Chamacoco sided with the Paraguayans in the Chaco War, but after the War faced increased incursions by Paraguayan settlers. The Instituto Nacional del Indigena (National Institute of Indigenous People -- INDI) forcibly settled the Tomáraho in a community called Puerto Esperanza with the Ebytoso. The total number of Chamacoco is less than 2,000 people. The photo here show some of Chamacoco people from Paraguay in the 1890s before the Chaco War (figure 1).
