50 More Facts About Indigenous Tribes Worldwide – Part 3

During World War II, the Obo Monuvo tribe of the Philippines fought against the Japanese by serving them "Kallot," a poisonous yam that requires a special procedure for consumption. The tribespeople attacked and killed the Japanese after they succumbed to the toxin's effects because they were unaware of the poison.

2. The Kootenai Indian Tribe of Idaho and Montana harvests millions of dollars' worth of sturgeon caviar each year but returns all the eggs to the rivers. They are earnestly endeavoring to safeguard the dwindling white sturgeon population, which they consider "sacred messengers."

3. The Hadza tribe from Tanzania discovers honey by whistling a special tune to a "honeyguide" bird, which then leads them to a nearby beehive.

4. The Khasi tribe in the Northeastern Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur has passed down the art of manipulating tree roots for generations to create a system of "living" bridges.

5. In the Amazonian rainforest, there are groups of tribes so linguistically diverse that marrying someone who speaks the same language is considered a form of incest.

The children of the Dukha tribe in Mongolia are taught to train reindeer, wolves, eagles, and even bears from a very young age. They form a friendly and spiritually beneficial relationship with these animals.

7. The Ju/'hoansi people, a hunter-gatherer tribe in the Kalahari desert in South Africa, have a tradition called "Insulting the Meat." To prevent the best hunters from becoming overly prideful, they mockingly insult the quality of the meat and playfully taunt the hunter who brought down the animal. The larger the kill, the more substantial the insults.

8. The Mapuche of South America were one of the few tribes successful in resisting Spanish control, maintaining their independence for over 300 years. They referred to the Spaniards as "New Incas" because they had also successfully resisted the Incan Empire. The Mapuche were only subjugated in 1883.

9. Traditional Samoans placed a high value on a bride's virginity, to the extent that the chief would publicly rupture her hymen, allowing the entire tribe to witness his bloody fingers.

10. In 1906, Ota Benga, a Congolese Mbuti pygmy tribesman, was exhibited at the Bronx Zoo in the monkey house as an example of "earlier stages of human evolution."

Among the Akan people of Ghana, the second twin born is considered the elder, as they are deemed mature enough to assist their sibling first.

12. In the Ainu community, the indigenous people of Japan, a man would propose to a woman by visiting her home. She offered him a bowl of rice, which he would only eat half of before giving the rest back. If the woman consumed the rest of the rice, it symbolized her acceptance of his proposal. Conversely, if she set it aside without eating, it signified her rejection of his proposal.

13. The slang term "Eskimo Brothers," meaning friends who have been intimate with the same person, originates from the old Eskimo tradition of gifting their wives to their guests for the night.

14. The Arrente indigenous people of Central Australia have created a set of indigemojis-emojis that reflect their culture and way of life. These indigemojis include symbols such as kangaroo tails, troopies, cowboy hats, and swags, all of which hold significance in their culture.

15. The indigenous Siberian tribes have a unique practice of drinking the urine of a shaman who has ingested the fly agaric mushroom. The fly agaric, known for its distinctive red cap with white spots, is a type of hallucinogenic mushroom. By drinking the shaman's urine after the mushroom has been processed by their body, individuals can experience the intoxicating effects of the mushroom without suffering from side effects like stomach cramps and nausea, as the shaman's body has already broken down the potentially harmful compounds found in the mushroom.

A representative of the Mbuti pygmies addressed the UN's Indigenous People's Forum in 2003, revealing that during the Congo Civil War, his people were hunted down and consumed as if they were game animals. He urged the UN Security Council to recognize cannibalism as a crime against humanity and an act of genocide.

17. In Maori mythology, Maui attempted to grant immortality to humanity by transforming into a worm and entering the goddess of death's vagina while she slept, in an effort to reverse the birth process. However, a bird's laughter awakened the goddess, who crushed Maui with her vagina's obsidian teeth, making Maui the first mortal to die.

18. The Awa tribe in Brazil adopts orphaned monkeys as pets and nourishes them with breast milk to save their lives.

19. The indigenous Aymara people of South America have a unique concept of time, with the past positioned ahead of them and the future behind.

20. Among the Innu people of Canada, there exists a spirit known as the "Fart Man," who cursed another spirit with agonizing constipation because caribou meat was not offered to him for consumption.

The Koyukon people of Alaska have a tale in which Raven takes two of each animal to protect them from a flood-an account that predates the arrival of Christianity.

22. The indigenous people of Bougainville Island in Papua New Guinea successfully orchestrated the world's first "eco-revolution." Between 1988 and 1998, they closed down one of the world's largest mines, expelled private security forces, and, subsequently, the Papua New Guinea and Australian armies. They achieved this feat using homemade weapons and running vehicles on coconut oil.

23. Alaska's Tlingit Native American Tribe crafted body armor from old Chinese coins to defend against Russian incursions.

24. Aazhawigiizhigokwe, the only Ojibwe woman to ever attain the status of a full warrior, was permitted to carry weapons, wear war paint, participate in ceremonies, engage in raids and hunting expeditions, and speak before the tribal council.

25. The Toda tribal people from South India practiced polyandry for centuries. When a Toda woman married, she automatically became the wife of her husband's brothers. During pregnancy, one husband would ceremonially present a bow and arrow to the wife and be recognized as the father of the child.