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| Yanomami child
©Claudia Andujar/Survival |
Four Sanuma Indians in northern Brazil have committed suicide since
last August. Suicide is virtually unheard of amongst the Sanuma, one of
the four groups which make up the Yanomami
tribe. Other Sanuma have attempted suicide. The Sanuma used timbó, a
strong poison made from a vine and used to kill fish and alligators, to
kill themselves. There has also been an alarming rise in the
consumption of alcohol among the group.
