People
Who they are
The Himarima, also known as the Hi-Merimã, are an Indigenous people of southern Amazonas state, in Brazil. They live in the Amazon rainforest, in the region of the Pinhuã River, between the Juruá and Purus rivers, in an area of dense forest where access is difficult and where other Indigenous peoples of the region also live.
They are one of the peoples of the Amazon who have chosen to keep their distance from the outside world. Very little is known about them: not even the name they call themselves is known with certainty, and their language remains unclassified, although a relationship with the Arawá language family, the same as several peoples of the region, is suspected.
Every person in this people, even though unknown by name and face, has worth before God. To know them is, above all, to recognize that there are still peoples whose story the world has barely begun to hear.
History and origin
The history of the Himarima is known only in fragments. Early estimates, from the beginning of the 1940s, spoke of more than a thousand people, but the numbers have always been uncertain, and today there is no way to know how many remain.
Over the past decades, contact with the outside world has been rare and marked by tension and by painful episodes in which the people suffered violence. Since then, reliable news about them has been minimal. The distance they keep from other peoples and from outsiders appears to be a choice made for survival, and deserves to be respected.
Where they live
1
Country
100
Population
| Country | Share of the people | Population |
|---|---|---|
Brazil Minimally reached
|
100%
|
100 |
What they believe
The traditional religion of the people is of Indigenous origin, tied to the forest in which they live. Since there has been no direct study of their customs, their myths, spirits and rituals are not known with certainty, and any detailed description would be conjecture.
What can be said with respect is that, like all peoples, the Himarima hold their own understanding of the world and of the sacred. It is also likely that the gospel has never been proclaimed to them in a way they could understand in their own language, and that few, or none, have heard of Jesus.
Language and the Bible
There is no portion of Scripture in the Himarima language. It is a poorly documented language that has not been classified or recorded in writing, and it may be spoken by very few people. Before any translation, one day it will be necessary to know and learn this language with respect. For now, the Word of God has not yet reached this people in a form they can understand.
The Bible in this people's language
A people only truly understands the gospel when they hear it in the language of their heart. See how far the translation has come.
Himarima
Translation needed
- 1 Translation started Still ahead
- 2 Portions Still ahead
- 3 New Testament Still ahead
- 4 Whole Bible Still ahead
Translation has not started in this language yet.
Audio recordings Not available
Jesus Film Not available
Translation data: Joshua Project.
Gospel progress among the unreached
Christians (all traditions)20%
Evangelicals2%
Barriers to the gospel
The main barrier is isolation: the Himarima live in dense forest and avoid contact with anyone outside the people, so no one knows how to reach them without causing harm. The unknown language prevents any communication of the gospel, and the absence of nearby Christians, of relationships of trust and of Scripture completes the picture. There is also the memory of violent encounters with outsiders, which makes any approach even more delicate and calls for care, patience and respect for the people’s decision.
Needs
The most urgent need is survival: a small and vulnerable people needs its life, its health and its territory to be protected. Because so few know their reality, there are also too few people interceding for them.
Spiritually, everything is lacking: someone who will learn their language with humility, Scripture in the language of the heart, and a Christian community that may one day be born among them, without their losing their identity.
What to pray for
Intercede for this people
For the protection of the lives and the territory of the Himarima in the forest.
For peace and safety for the people in any contact with outsiders.
That the Holy Spirit would prepare their hearts to receive the good news of Jesus.
That God would lead wise and patient believers to them, in the right time and with respect.
For the knowledge and recording of the Himarima language, so that one day the Word may be translated.
For dreams and revelations that point to Christ, even before any encounter.
For the rise of a church among the Himarima, lived out in their own culture.
Pray for Himarima
Intercede for this people alongside Christians around the world.
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