Kaapor

The Kaapor (also known as Ka'apor and Urubu Kaapor) are an indigenous ethnic group of people who live in Brazil, states of Maranhão and Pará. Their original settlements were around the Xingu river, and slowly moved eastwards probably because of conflicts with colonists and other native peoples, finally reaching the lands of modern Maranhão around 1870. There were 991 individuals in the group in 2006, according to Funasa. They speak a language of the Tupi-Guarani branch.

Language

Ka'apor is also the name used to refer to their language. It is used as second language by some Tembé people and others which are not ethnically related to the Kaapor. It pertains to the Tupi-Guarani family but is quite different from its closest relatives, the Tembé and Guajá languages.

Land

The Kaapor Indian Reservation is limited by the Gurupi river to the north and by some tributaries of the Turiaçu river to the south. The highest point is located at 250 meters (around 820 feet) above the sea level. The region is rainy, with levels reaching an average of about 2000 mm per year.

Problems

Since 1989, loggers and ranchers have been entering the Kaapor reservation. Around a third of the area has been deforested. There are some reported cases about invasions and episodes of violence from both parts with casualties, as the loggers camped inside the reservation attacking the indians, causing a violent reaction. These raids have been going on since at least 1993.

External links

Kaapor on socioambiental.org