The Xakriabá () are an
indigenous people of Brazil
Indigenous peoples in Brazil ( pt, povos indígenas no Brasil) or Indigenous Brazilians ( pt, indígenas brasileiros, links=no) once comprised an estimated 2000 tribes and nations inhabiting what is now the country of Brazil, before European con ...
. One of the
Gê peoples who spoke the
Xakriabá dialect of the
Akwe language, they used to live in the
Tocantins River
The Tocantins River ( pt, Rio Tocantins, link=no , , Parkatêjê: ''Pyti'' ɨˈti is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means " toucan's beak" (''Tukã'' for "toucan" and ''Ti'' for "beak ...
area.
As of 2010, 9,196 Xakriabá people lived in the
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...
.
Name
The Xakriabá are also known as the ''Xacriabá'', ''Chakriaba'', ''Chikriaba'', or ''Shacriaba'' people.
[ They were formerly known as ''"acroás"'' and ''"coroás"'' in ]Bahia
Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest b ...
and ''"gamelas"'' in Piauí.
Language
The Xakriabá speak Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
. The extinct Xakriabá language was an Acua language, belonging to the Ge language family and was one of the Macro-Ge languages.[
]
History
In pre-colonial times, Xakriabá did not have a defined territory, but lived in the valley of the Tocantins River, in Goiás
Goiás () is a Brazilian state located in the Center-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso. The state capital is Goi ...
and along the São Francisco River. In the early 18th century, Matias Cardoso de Almeida, a pioneer, slaughtered Indians in the region. The Roman Catholic church forced local tribes to build missions. A statue of the saint, St. John of the Indians (: São João dos Índios) appeared at one of the missions, became a patron saint in the region.[""Xakriabá: História."]
''ISA: Povos Indígenas no Brasil.'' Retrieved 5 August 2012.
In the 18th century, the Xakriabá settled in reservations (''aldeia''s).[
]
References
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xakriaba People
Indigenous peoples in Brazil
Indigenous peoples of Eastern Brazil