Major Nations in a Global World: Brazil

Chiefs of the Kayapo tribe. From left to right, Raony (from the state of Mato Grosso), and Kaye, Kadjor, and Panara (from Pará).

A Yanomami woman and her child.

gardens with their children and wander the jungle looking for termite nests and other insects to eat. The Kayapo live in the eastern part of the Amazon, in thatched-roof huts made of palm leaves. Like other tribes, the Kayapos live in large matrilineal fam- ily groups, or households in which the line of descent is through the mother’s side of the family. When a man marries, he moves into the house of his wife’s family, his father-in-law has ultimate authority in the household, and the new husband must listen to him. While men have the upper hand in Kayapo soci- ety, young men must still defer to their elders. THE MAN OF THE HOLE With a population of 40,000, the Tikuna is the largest Amazon tribe in Brazil. The smallest tribe consists of one man, whom many believe is the last survivor of his group. Officials in Brazil became aware of him around 1995 and instituted measures to protect the area he resides in. He lives on his own, constantly shunning others, some of whom have tried to kill him. People call him “The Man of the Hole,” because he digs big holes either to trap animals for food or to hide in.

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CHAPTER TWO: FAMILY AND FRIENDS