The Kamayurá are an indigenous tribe in the Amazonian Basin of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. Their name is also spelled Kamayura and Kamaiurá; it means "a raised platform to keep meat, pots and pans." The

Kamayurá language The Kamayurá language (''Kamaiurá'' in Portuguese) belongs to the Tupi–Guarani family, and is spoken by the Kamayurá people of Brazil – who numbered about 600 individuals in 2014. There is speculation that as the indigenous peoples who s ...

belongs to the Tupi–Guarani family. The Kamayurá live in the

Upper Xingu The Xingu Indigenous Park (, pronounced ) is an indigenous territory of Brazil, first created in 1961 as a national park in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Its official purposes are to protect the environment and the several tribes of Xingu in ...

region along with Kiabi, Yudja and Suya tribes. The ways of life of these four tribes are quite similar despite having different languages. Their villages are situated around Lake Ipavu, which is six kilometres from the

Kuluene River The Culuene River, or Kuluene River is a 600 km tributary of Xingu River in Mato Grosso, a state in western Brazil. The main economic activities in the region are agriculture and cattle farming. It joins the Xingu from the southeast in the Xi ...

. Much like other small indigenous cultures around the globe, the Kamayurá are struggling to adapt to the effects of

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

and climate change.

Population

In 2002 there were an estimated 355 people. Now there are about 544 (2010). Their numbers had made a good recovery from an all-time low of 94 people recorded in 1954, the previous reduction in numbers due to the

measles Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than , cough, ...

epidemic An epidemic (from Ancient Greek, Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of patients among a given population within an area in a short period of time. Epidemics ...

. The total population was 264 when adventurer

Karl von den Steinen Karl von den Steinen (born March 7, 1855 in Mülheim, died November 4, 1929 in Kronberg im Taunus) was a German physician (with emphasis in psychiatry), ethnologist, explorer, and author of important anthropological work, which is particularly ...

visited the area in the 1880s.

Description of villages

The Kamayurá village comprises a round roof that is decorated with sape grass (''

Imperata brasiliensis ''Imperata'' is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical grasses, commonly known as satintails. Satintail grass species are perennial rhizomatous herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best known species is ...

'') and the ‘house of the flutes’(Tapuwi) contain important flute (''jakui'') instruments that can only be played by the men. In front of that house there is a meeting area where the men discuss fishing trips or plan festivals and so on. The house is generally dark and is where the women and children dwell. The rainforest surround the entire village and private gardens can also be found.

History

The region was declared a national park by the Brazilian authorities in 1961, intended to prevent further intrusions and spread of deadly epidemics to locals. The Kamayurá people currently live near other indigenous peoples, namely the Kuikuro and Kalapalo, for example, in Upper Xingu. In regards to contact with non-indigenous people, this was first seen in 1884 with the exploration of Karl Von den Stein. At this time the Kamayurá were situated on the banks of the Lake Ipavu. Karl Von den Stein was a German explorer, and with his exploration opened up opportunities for other explorers to pass through the region of which the Kamayurá were situated. In 1942 the Federal Agency was created as well as the Central Brazil Foundation, this opened roads and established camps in the area which the Kamayurá were living. These open roads and camps directly affected the Kamayurá as contact with non-indigenous people continued. In 1961 Funai turned the territory the Kamayurá inhabited, into what is today known as the National Park.

Social organisation

The Kamayurá society comprises several villages, a group of brothers being the owner of each household. They decide what tasks and productive activities should be conducted each day by its members. After marriage the husband moves and lives in the wife’s parents’ house. Strong alliances can be established through marriages. The genders are separated shortly after puberty. The boys are taught how to hunt for food with an arrow, do hard labour, and create a basket. Wrestling is done daily which strengthens their muscles. They are also trained in combat and taught leadership skills so they are able to look after their own families later on. This segregation lasts for up to five years before returning. The teenage girls during seclusion must learn how to weave mats, and perform many basic everyday household duties. After a few years they become ready for marriage, they are given a new name and their ears are pierced. The girls also learn how to dance and look after the family.

Ceremonies and Rituals

There are many ceremonies and rituals of the Kamayurá people. Some of these rituals are: the feast of the dead, and the celebration feast of the warriors. The aim of these rituals is to bring together the various ethnic groups of the Upper Xingu area to celebrate the life of the deceased.

Trade

Bows and arrows The bow and arrow is a ranged weapon system consisting of an elastic launching device (bow) and long-shafted projectiles ( arrows). Humans used bows and arrows for hunting and aggression long before recorded history, and the practice was com ...

(made with high quality materials), snail-shell belts and ceramic pots are traded with other tribes. Fish nets,

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

s and

hammock A hammock (from Spanish , borrowed from Taíno and Arawak ) is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two or more points, used for swing (seat), swinging, sleeping, or Human relaxation, resting. It normally consists of one ...

s are made as specialised goods.

Diet

The traditional Kamayura diet generally consists of

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

, ''beiju'',

porridge Porridge is a food made by heating or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, (dried) fruit or syrup to make a sweet cereal, ...

pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...

and

bananas A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...

. Fish is the main source of protein. Birds are hunted in the rain forest while wild berries are gathered as the main

food supplement A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order ...

. Most

fur Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...

-bearing animals are considered

taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

. Eagles can be a supplement for fish.

Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

is also collected.

Manioc ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated a ...

is harvested and processed in beiju and a sweet soup called ''mohete''."Kamaiura: Productive Activities."
''Povos Indígenas no Brasil.'' (retrieved 2 March 2011)

Notes

References

* Lucy Seki, '' Gramática do Kamaiurá, Língua Tupi–Guarani do Alto Xingu''. Editora UNICAMP and São Paulo State Official Press (2000). .

External links

Kamayurá artwork

National Museum of the American Indian The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers. The museum has three ...

Kamayura use GPS to protect rainforest
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamayura People Xingu peoples Indigenous peoples in Brazil Indigenous peoples of the Amazon