What economic system do the Yanomamo follow? The Yanomamo are a South American Indian tribe living in spread out villages in the Amazon region of Brazil and Venezuela. The Yanomamo had no contact with outsiders until in the middle of the twentieth century. The Yanomamo grow plantains and bananas for much of their food. They supplement this with hunting and gathering palm fruit. They meet their basic needs without outside contributions or trade. The fathers teach their sons how to hunt, the mothers teach their daughters to cook.