The Chamacoco are an indigenous group native to Paraguay and Brazil. They are broken into two subgroups: the river-residing Ebytoso, and the forest-dwelling Tomáraho. The Tomáraho have protected their traditional way of life by living in isolated locations. Prior to the 1970s, the Chamacoco were stereotyped as a hostile and secluded people.
The Ebytoso sided with Paraguay in the Chaco War of the 1930s but lost their territories at the war’s conclusion. Meanwhile, many Tomáraho suffered from debt slavery in logging camps, where their population declined. In the 1980s, the Chamacoco were resettled away from their tribal lands.

Today, the Chamacoco are fading in both population and culture. Their original language, Yshyr, is endangered. Poverty has played a pivotal role in modern Chamacoco development. Additional factors include lack of natural resources and the relocation of younger generations.
The Chamacoco no longer reliant on hunting and gathering. Instead, many have turned to agriculture. Additional income comes from traditional craftmanship.

The river subgroup, the Ebytoso, were converted to Christianity by New Tribes missionaries. The Tomáraho preserved traditional rituals such as initiation ceremonies, cultural myths, and shamanism. Today, the main spiritual beliefs of the Chamacoco are a blend of Christianity and tribal religion.
Traditional spiritual beliefs were heavily influenced by Chamacoco mythology. One such story is the “Big Myth,” which tells of the people’s origin. In this myth, the gods, known as “ahnapzöro,” dwelt among men until mankind’s rebellion. One god, Nemur, created the Paraguay River to separate himself from men.
An additional spiritual belief is the tradition of the “balut.” The balut functioned as spokespeople for animals, enforcing hunting limits.

The Chamacoco need to put Christ first in their lives.

Pray that the Chamacoco would understand and be convicted by the word of God. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers into His field, discipling the Chamacoco. Pray for Chamacoco believers to one day take the gospel to others who can be more intentionally reached by shared culture and ethnicity.

Scripture Prayers for the Chamacoco in Paraguay.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamacoco#:~:text=The%20Chamacoco%20people%20(Ish%C3%ADr)%20are,Some%20also%20live%20in%20Brazil.&text=The%20Chamacoco%20have%20two%20major,traditionally%20lived%20in%20the%20forests.