linguistic:voice_change, structural:reformatting, stylistic:tone
The Indigenous peoples of South America or South American Indigenous peoples, are the pre-Columbian peoples of South America and their descendants. These peoples contrast with South Americans of European ancestry and those of African descent. In Spanish, Indigenous people are often referred to as indígenas or pueblos indígenas. They may also be called pueblos nativos or nativos. The term aborigen is used in Argentina and pueblos aborígenes is commonly used in Colombia. The English term "Amerindian" is often used in the Guianas. Latin Americans of mixed European and Indigenous descent are usually referred to as mestizos (Spanish) and mestiços (Portuguese), while those of mixed African and Indigenous ancestry are referred to as zambos. It is believed that the first human populations of South America either arrived from Asia into North America via the Bering Land Bridge and migrated southwards or alternatively from Polynesia across the Pacific. The earliest generally accepted archaeological evidence for human habitation in South America dates to 14,000 years ago, the Monte Verde site in Southern Chile. The descendants of these first inhabitants would become the indigenous populations of South America. Before the Spanish colonization of the Americas, many of the indigenous peoples of South America were hunter-gatherers and indeed many still are, especially in the Amazonian area. Others, especially the Andean cultures, practised sophisticated agriculture, utilized advanced irrigation and kept domesticated livestock, such as llamas and alpacas. In the present day, there is one South American country where indigenous peoples constitute the largest ethnic group. This is Bolivia, where 62% of people identify as feeling a part of some indigenous group. South American indigenous peoples include: Indigenous peoples in Argentina
Indigenous peoples in Bolivia
Indigenous peoples in Brazil
Indigenous peoples in Chile
Indigenous peoples in Colombia
Indigenous peoples in Ecuador
Indigenous peoples in French Guiana
Indigenous peoples in Guyana
Indigenous peoples in Paraguay
Indigenous peoples in Peru
Indigenous peoples in Suriname
Indigenous peoples in Uruguay
Indigenous peoples in Venezuela