The Yanomami's life center around the river and the forest. The Yanomami gather all their food from garden plots and the forest. The Yanomami all sleep in a large building called the shabono, where they also cook and eat. Many of them are vegetarians. A few hunt birds, insects, monkeys, and small forest animals.
Insects are a large form of protein in their diet.
When they hunt they use arrows and darts which are dipped in poisoned. This poison comes from a rain forest vine and makes the muscles relax. Therefore the lungs collapse. All the hunting is done by the men. The women gather, garden and fish in the rivers.