The Arutani of Venezuela

The Arutani of Venezuela, numbering approximately 20 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnic group indigenous to northern Brazil and southern Venezuela and can also be known as Oewaku, Aoaqui, Awaké, Auaqué, Urutani, Uruak, Auake. They are an Indigenous people, in the South American Indigenous people cluster of the Latin-Caribbean Americans affinity bloc. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion - Animism. They primarily speak Ninam.

Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Arutani

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: American Peoples
Country: Venezuela
People Cluster: South American Indigenous
Primary Language(s): Ninam (shb)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion - Animism
Population: 20
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Active CP Activity
People Group ID: PG043713
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Arutani of Venezuela

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Ethnoreligion - Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

%
Ethnoreligion - Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Ninam
Language Family: Yanomamic

%
Ninam Speakers

Media Resources in Ninam:

Films:

Bible Resources in Ninam:

Or check out the Ninam bible resources at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

Next steps for the Arutani

The Arutani are Unengaged and Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations among which there are no known efforts focused on establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Begin signifcant prayer and fasting for this group
Send cross-cultural teams to discover and research this people group
Begin gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group

Next steps for the Arutani

The Arutani are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Next steps for the Arutani

The Arutani are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Arutani of Venezuela

Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
readIsaiah 45:22

Pray for many lost people to turn to the Lord, finding forgiveness and salvation in Him, for He is the only way to true life and restoration.

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
readPsalm 119:97

Pray that the lost will have access to God's Word in their language and treasure it deeply, meditating on God's promises and precepts.

And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!"
readMark 7:9

Pray that as men, women, boys, and girls place their faith in Christ, they will let go of any traditions that do not honor Him.

"For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you."
readActs 17:23

Pray that believers God sends to cross cultures will be sensitive to the spiritual needs of the people they serve, and will proclaim the truth of Christ to them in creative ways that they will understand.

Arutani (ROP3 - 100535) reported in the following countries:

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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