Kadiweu

The Kadiwéu, also known with the name "horsemen Indians" because of their skill in riding horses, are an indigenous group of people who live in Brazil. They fought for Brazil dring the Paraguayan War. There are 1.629 individuals in the group, and they speak a Guaikuru language.

The Kadiwéu live in the easternmost part of the Gran Chaco sub-region, and are closely related to other indians of the Chaco, like the Toba, Emók, Mocoví, Abipón and Payaguá. The Kadiwéu are the only group located to the east of the Paraguay river.

The Spanish called them Mbayá (a name of Tupi origin). Because of colonial pressure, these moved northwards and eastwards during the 17th century. The Mbayá were divided in several groups, each one had a name associated with the features of the region they lived in, and the Kadiweu are the direct descendants of one of the groups, who live in four villages inside the reservation near the Serra da Bodoquena mountains.

External links

• Kadiweu on socioambiental.org