Who Are the Gavião?
The Gavião (also Digüt or Ikolen) are an indigenous Tupian people of Rondônia state, Brazil, numbering approximately 800-1,000. They speak Gavião, a Mondé language of the Tupi family. The name "Gavião" (Portuguese for "hawk") was given by outsiders; they call themselves Digüt or Ikolen. First contacted peacefully in 1966 during BR-364 highway construction, the Gavião experienced the typical devastation of contact—epidemic disease reduced their population by about half. They are known for their resistance to outside encroachment and their maintenance of traditional practices despite integration pressures.
Log Races
The Gavião practice ceremonial log races similar to those of other Jê and Macro-Jê peoples. Teams carry heavy buriti palm logs in relay races that are part of broader ceremonial cycles. These races demonstrate physical prowess, reinforce team solidarity, and connect to cosmological narratives. The log race tradition links the Gavião to the broader cultural complex of central Brazilian indigenous peoples, though the Gavião speak a Tupi rather than Jê language. Log races remain an important ceremonial practice, performed during festivals and rituals that mark seasonal and life-cycle transitions.
Resistance and Adaptation
The Gavião have demonstrated consistent resistance to outside encroachment while adapting strategically to changed circumstances. After contact, they resisted missionary settlement on their territory. They have fought illegal logging and mining incursions. Their chiefs have participated in regional indigenous politics, advocating for land rights. At the same time, the Gavião have selectively adopted useful external elements—metal tools, some aspects of Brazilian economy and education—while maintaining language and ceremonial practices. This strategic approach has preserved Gavião cultural distinctiveness better than some neighboring groups who experienced more thorough integration.
Contemporary Gavião
Modern Gavião live in the Igarapé Lourdes Indigenous Territory in Rondônia, shared with the Arara people. Subsistence activities include hunting, fishing, and swidden agriculture. Brazil nut collection provides some cash income. The Gavião language remains the community's primary language, taught in village schools alongside Portuguese. Traditional ceremonies, including log races and puberty rituals, continue. Threats include illegal logging, mining, and agricultural encroachment on territorial boundaries. Road access has brought both benefits (market access, services) and problems (disease, cultural pressure). How the Gavião maintain their distinctive identity while managing integration pressures shapes this hawk-named people's future.
References
- Moore, D. (1984). Syntax of the Language of the Gavião Indians of Rondônia
- Dal Poz, J. (1991). No PaÃs dos Cinta Larga
- FUNAI. Gavião Indigenous Territory Documentation