🪶 Kayapó

Who Are the Kayapó?

The Kayapó (Mẽbêngôkre, meaning "people from the water's source") are indigenous people of Brazil's Amazon basin, living primarily in Pará and Mato Grosso states. Numbering approximately 11,000-12,000, they inhabit one of the largest indigenous territories in Brazil, covering over 11 million hectares of rainforest. They speak Kayapó, a Gê (Jê) language. The Kayapó gained international fame in the 1980s-90s for their successful resistance against the Belo Monte dam and other threats to their territory. Known for their elaborate body painting, distinctive lip plates (in some communities), and feathered headdresses, the Kayapó have become symbols of indigenous environmental activism.

Body Art and Adornment

Kayapó body painting is among the most elaborate in the Amazon. Using urucum (red) and genipapo (black) plant dyes, women paint intricate geometric patterns on bodies—different designs indicate age, gender, social status, and ceremonial roles. The patterns are not merely decorative but encode cultural knowledge and social relationships. Hair is traditionally cut in distinctive styles, with men's heads partially shaved. Some Kayapó communities practiced lip plate wearing (botoque) for men, stretching the lower lip to insert wooden discs, though this has declined. Elaborate feathered headdresses (cocar) using macaw and other bird feathers are worn for ceremonies. These bodily transformations distinguish the Kayapó as fully cultural beings from the natural world.

Environmental Activism

The Kayapó became internationally famous through opposition to the Belo Monte dam project on the Xingu River. Chief Raoni Metuktire, with his distinctive lip plate, toured globally in the 1980s alongside musician Sting to raise awareness about Amazon deforestation. The Kayapó organized the 1989 Altamira gathering, bringing together indigenous leaders and international media to protest dam construction. While Belo Monte was eventually built (2011-2019), Kayapó activism helped delay it for decades and brought global attention to indigenous rights and Amazon conservation. The Kayapó continue monitoring their territory using GPS and satellite technology, documenting illegal logging and mining invasions for legal action.

Contemporary Kayapó

Modern Kayapó maintain substantial territorial control, with their reserves representing some of Brazil's best-preserved forest. Villages retain traditional circular layout with a men's house at the center. Kayapó economy combines traditional hunting, fishing, and agriculture with sustainable extraction of Brazil nuts, selling indigenous crafts, and receiving compensation payments from environmental funds. Some villages have become involved in illegal gold mining or timber extraction, creating internal conflicts. The Kayapó language remains vital, spoken across generations. Schools in villages teach in Kayapó alongside Portuguese. The Kayapó demonstrate both the possibilities and challenges of indigenous territorial defense in the Amazon—their large, demarcated reserves provide environmental protection while engagement with the market economy brings new pressures.

References

• Turner, T. (1992). Os Mebengokre Kayapó: história e mudança social
• Verswijver, G. (1992). The Club-Fighters of the Amazon: Warfare Among the Kaiapo Indians of Central Brazil
• Rabben, L. (2004). Brazil's Indians and the Onslaught of Civilization: The Yanomami and the Kayapó