Xerente people

The Xerente (also Sherenté or Cherente called ) are an indigenous tribe that settled in the Brazilian rain forest in the state of Tocantins between the Rio do Sono and Rio Tocantins. The Xerente include 1,552 persons (as of 2002) living in 30 villages. Your reserve has an area of ​​183 542 hectares.

The language of Xerente belongs to along with the Xavante and the Xakriabá the Acua language group from the Gê language family.

The people originally belonged to the tribe of the Timbira, which was formerly home in the area of ​​today's state of Maranhão. Through constant fighting, the subgroups Xerente, Xavante, Krahô and Apinajé but were torn apart. The new groupings retreated to more inaccessible areas and defended this for decades against all the white invaders.