Orinoco River Basin
Ye’kuana People

Wood, gourd, seeds, pigment
Early – Mid 20th century
Length: 13.5 inches
Idiophones – Struck – Indirectly

This ‘Madaka’ is the sacred rattle of the Yekuana tribe, used by shamans as a crucial tool in rituals and healing. It is made from a single calabash (gourd) with an intricately carved heartwood handle.  The madaka contains pebbles (wiriki) and the roots of aiuku and kaahi (medicinal) plants to give it a distinctive sound.  Often feathers from the crimson-crested woodpecker (Campephilus melanoleucus) are attached to the handle but none were found with this rattle. The reticulated carved wood handle and spherical gourd are decorated in geometric designs with black pigment.

The Yekuana tribe is located in the tropical forests of southern Venezuela and a small part of northern Brazil, primarily in the Orinoco River basin. Their territory includes parts of the Venezuelan states of Amazonas and Bolívar, and the Brazilian state of Roraima.  The Yekuana‘s main livelihood involves agriculture. They grow crops on large communal farms and keep livestock, fish and hunt. They are excellent canoe makers, which is essential for their fishing activities.

Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ye%EA%9E%8Ckuana