Wayana of French Guiana (PGID: PG016344)

The Wayana of French Guiana

The Wayana of French Guiana, numbering approximately 2,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Carib-speaking Amazonian people of the upper Maroni River basin descended from the merger of smaller groups including the Upului, Opagwana, and Kukuyana, never formally colonized due to the region's dense rainforest. They mostly adhere to Animism and Wayana is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Wayana

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Latin American and Caribbean Peoples
Country: French Guiana
People Cluster: South American Indigenous
Primary Language(s): Wayana (way)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 2,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG016344
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Pray for the Wayana of French Guiana

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

91%

Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Wayana
Language Family: Cariban

100%

Wayana Speakers

Media Resources in Wayana:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Wayana:

Bible Name (Translation)	Video	Audio	Text
1979 World Team		✓	✓

1 entry

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Wayana bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

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SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Wayana 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.

Next steps for the Wayana:

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

Pray specifically for the Wayana of French Guiana

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1

Pray that God will reassure those who may be struggling with the cost of following Jesus that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Psalm 150:2

Pray for the gospel to advance among those who are living in darkness. Pray that they will come to know Jesus and praise Him for all that He has done.

Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
Psalm 34:9

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be grounded in the Word, always trusting in the Lord's provision for their needs.

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
John 7:38

Ask God to raise up believers and sustain them as they cross cultures to share hope with those who need it. Pray that many might come to know Christ and that streams of living water will flow from their hearts so they will never thirst again.

Wayana Across Countries (ROP3 - 110731) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

Engaged yet Unreached UUPG No Longer Unreached

CountryReligion

3 people groups

People Group ID	Name	Country	Population ▼	Strategic Progress Index	Language	Religion
PG016344	Wayana	French Guiana	2,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Wayana	Animism
PG016441	Wayana	Suriname	650	No Longer Unreached	Wayana	Protestantism
PG017184	Wayana	Brazil	300	No Longer Unreached	Wayana	Folk Catholicism

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