Ticuna is a language spoken by approximately 21,000 people in Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. It is the native language of the Ticuna people. Ticuna is classified as a language isolate.
Ticuna is also known as Magta, Tikuna, Tucuna, Tukna, and Tukuna.
In spite of its few speakers, Tikunas (in Brazil at least) have got a written literature and an education provided by the Brazilian National Foundation for the Indians (FUNAI). Textbooks in Tikuna are used to teach the language to the Tikuna children and their myths and legends have been written down.
The language used in the Tikuna books provided by the Brazilian government has been provided with a writing system that uses conventions similar to those found in Brazilian Portuguese (except for K instead of C and the letter Ñ instead of NH).
External links
The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, translated into Ticuna (http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/tca.htm)
The wandering Ticuna, some of whom at times reside temporarily in the river villages, go naked except for the G-string and a collar of jaguar or monkey teeth, to which is added a painted robe on ceremonial occasions.
At the time of the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1768 it was in charge of Father Segundo del Castillo and contained 700 souls, being one of the largest of the province.
Under the new republican government the missions were neglected and rapidly declined, but the Christian Ticuna are still served by resident priests at Loreto and Tabatinga, including the auxiliary villages.
Feeds |
Contact