Kayapo people

The Kayapó, also Kaiapo or ( Portuguese) Caiapó, are a Native American people of the Amazon region in Brazil's Mato Grosso and Pará. They speak a language of the same name, which belongs to Gê language family and live on the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon.

The tribe counted 2013 9000 members. Like virtually all indigenous inhabitants of the South American lowland rainforest (or original ethnic groups of northern Brazil ) live the Kayapo primarily from agriculture, according to the tropical conditions in shifting cultivation, which traditionally allows only a partial sedentary. In addition to agriculture but also hunting and gathering economy plays a role in adaptation to living in the ecosystem. Your reserve consists of five interrelated areas with defined boundaries, a total as large as the five new federal states in Germany.

Subgroups of the Kayapo include the: Xikrin, Gorotire, Menkragnoti and Metyktire.

Lifestyle and everyday

They live in round huts and operate mainly subsistence farming, its 44 villages are connected by waterways and virtually invisible paths. A centrally located hotel serves as a gathering place for the men of the village to advise on matters concerning the village community. The women wear round and high baskets, decorated with colorful tails. Many in the root also use radios that they have received from researchers.

Labrets

The newborn boy of the Kayapo usually get a few days after the birth of a hole pierced into the lower lip. This is gradually increased. At puberty, a lip plate is then inserted. The wheel symbolizes the ability of the wise and beautiful speech.

Land rights and environmental issues

They could successfully prevent a project of the local mining companies and thus ward off the destruction of their livelihoods years ago. Became famous for the tribe when he made the satellite TV to Use and protested that the controversial Belo Monte hydroelectric plant to be built in the region in order to prevent flooding of the upper reaches of the Rio Xingu. Share on Facebook they keep in touch, make videos of their ceremonies and meetings to the Internet and look for prominent supporters such as Sting. The protest was initially successful, so the credit for the construction of the dam was rejected until further notice. However, there were now new processes and in February 2012 the construction of the dam was approved. The plant is expected to produce a peak output of 11,233 megawatts and go as the third largest hydroelectric plant in the world in 2015 to the network.