Xingu Indigenous Research Articles

Widespread Amazonian dark earth in the Xingu Indigenous Territory

Widespread Amazonian dark earth in the Xingu Indigenous Territory

Ontological transformations: the Kawaiwete's shifting relations with spirits as seen through changing ideas of conception

AbstractDrawing on the insights of the ontological turn, this article explores how human and nonhuman social relations have changed over a thirty‐year period for a community of Tupian Kawaiwete people in Brazil's Xingu Indigenous Territory. Changes in human‐spirit relations are discussed through a focus on people's changing understandings of human conception and the relative importance and roles of maternal and paternal substances, shamanic practitioners, and spirit beings. While changes in relations with nonhuman others are usually understood in lowland literature in terms of the impact of outside forces, such as conversion to Christianity, in this article, we look at the agency of one particular shaman in restructuring humans’ relations with spirits, bringing these entities much closer than they used to be three decades ago. We argue that this shaman is responding to his historical context, and look at how his agency is entangled with the agency of nonhumans. Ultimately, we suggest that cosmology and ideas of conception are more variable and transformable than they are often portrayed.

Território Indígena do Xingu: perfil nutricional e metabólico de indígenas avaliados entre os anos de 2017 e 2019

Abstract The study evaluates the nutritional and metabolic profile of the adult population of the Xingu Indigenous Territory by gender and base hub. It was developed in 18 villages from 2017 to 2019. Anthropometry and clinical, physical examinations were conducted in loco in individuals over 18. A total of 1,598 Indigenous people were evaluated, with a mean age of 36.7 years. Of these, 50.6% were male, 53.2% lived in the Leonardo Base hub, 22.7% in Diauarum, 12.3% in Pavuru and 11.8% in Wawi. Women had a higher prevalence (p < 0.05) than men, respectively, of underweight (2.0% vs. 0.1%), normal weight (46.1% vs. 37.4%), central obesity (63.4% vs. 21 .8%), low HDL cholesterol (77.7% vs. 72.9%) and Metabolic Syndrome (29.0% vs. 23.5%). In comparison, men had a higher prevalence (p < 0.05) than women, respectively, of overweight (46.3% vs. 37.5%), high triglycerides (34.5% vs. 28.2%) and high blood pressure levels (13.1% vs. 8.6%). The Leonardo and Wawi base hubs had the worst nutritional and cardiometabolic results. Overall, subjects had a high frequency of noncommunicable diseases and cardiometabolic risk. Urgent measures need to be taken to control this situation.

Composição corporal versus resultados antropométricos dos indígenas Khisêdjê do Xingu - MT/Brasil

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the body composition of the Khisêdjê, an Indigenous people residing in the Xingu Indigenous Territory, and compare it to the results obtained by anthropometry. One hundred seventy-nine individuals aged above 20 of both genders were included. The nutritional status was classified per the cutoff proposed by the WHO (1995). The body composition was identified using measures derived directly from a bioelectrical impedance device (resistance - R, reactance - Xc, and phase angle - PA). Data were analyzed using the Student t-test, chi-square, Pearson correlation, and analysis of variance, and 57% of the sample was male. The mean age of the population was 37.5 years, and 48% of subjects had some overweight level (BMI ≥ 25,0 kg/m2). We identified a positive correlation between BMI with waist (WC) and arm (AC) circumference, and PA measurements, and an inverse correlation between BMI and R and Xc measurements. R and Xc mean values decreased with increasing BMI. In contrast, mean PA increased with greater weight. The results suggest that being overweight among the Khisêdjê Indigenous people was associated with higher muscle mass amounts.

Xingu Indigenous Territory: nutritional and metabolic profile of indigenous people evaluated between 2017 and 2019

Resumen El estudio evaluó el perfil nutricional y metabólico de la población adulta del Territorio Indígena Xingu, según género y polo de base. Se llevó a cabo en 18 aldeas entre 2017 y 2019. Se realizaron exámenes antropométricos, clínicos y físicos in situ a individuos mayores de 18 años. Se evaluaron a un total de 1.598 indígenas, con una media de edad de 36,7 años. De ellos, el 50,6% eran hombres, el 53,2% vivían en Polo Leonardo, el 22,7% en Diauarum, el 12,3% en Pavuru y el 11,8% en Wawi. Las mujeres presentaban una mayor prevalencia (p < 0,05) que los hombres de bajo peso (2,0% vs 0,1%), eutrofia (46,1% vs 37,4%), obesidad central (63,4% vs 21,8%), colesterol HDL bajo (77,7% vs 72,9%) y síndrome metabólico (29,0% vs 23,5%). Por otro lado, los hombres tuvieron una mayor prevalencia (p < 0,05) que las mujeres, respectivamente, de sobrepeso (46,3% vs 37,5%), triglicéridos elevados (34,5% vs 28,2%) y niveles elevados de presión arterial (13,2% vs 8,6%). Los polos base Leonardo y Wawi mostraron los peores resultados nutricionales y cardiometabólicos. En general, los individuos evaluados presentaban una elevada frecuencia de enfermedades no transmisibles y de riesgo cardiometabólico. Es necesario adoptar medidas urgentes para controlar esta situación.

Xingu Indigenous Territory: nutritional and metabolic profile of indigenous people evaluated between 2017 and 2019.

The study evaluates the nutritional and metabolic profile of the adult population of the Xingu Indigenous Territory by gender and base hub. It was developed in 18 villages from 2017 to 2019. Anthropometry and clinical, physical examinations were conducted in loco in individuals over 18. A total of 1,598 Indigenous people were evaluated, with a mean age of 36.7 years. Of these, 50.6% were male, 53.2% lived in the Leonardo Base hub, 22.7% in Diauarum, 12.3% in Pavuru and 11.8% in Wawi. Women had a higher prevalence (p < 0.05) than men, respectively, of underweight (2.0% vs. 0.1%), normal weight (46.1% vs. 37.4%), central obesity (63.4% vs. 21 .8%), low HDL cholesterol (77.7% vs. 72.9%) and Metabolic Syndrome (29.0% vs. 23.5%). In comparison, men had a higher prevalence (p < 0.05) than women, respectively, of overweight (46.3% vs. 37.5%), high triglycerides (34.5% vs. 28.2%) and high blood pressure levels (13.1% vs. 8.6%). The Leonardo and Wawi base hubs had the worst nutritional and cardiometabolic results. Overall, subjects had a high frequency of noncommunicable diseases and cardiometabolic risk. Urgent measures need to be taken to control this situation.

Body composition versus anthropometric results of the Khisêdjê Indigenous of Xingu - MT/Brazil.

This study aimed to evaluate the body composition of the Khisêdjê, an Indigenous people residing in the Xingu Indigenous Territory, and compare it to the results obtained by anthropometry. One hundred seventy-nine individuals aged above 20 of both genders were included. The nutritional status was classified per the cutoff proposed by the WHO (1995). The body composition was identified using measures derived directly from a bioelectrical impedance device (resistance - R, reactance - Xc, and phase angle - PA). Data were analyzed using the Student t-test, chi-square, Pearson correlation, and analysis of variance, and 57% of the sample was male. The mean age of the population was 37.5 years, and 48% of subjects had some overweight level (BMI ≥ 25,0 kg/m2). We identified a positive correlation between BMI with waist (WC) and arm (AC) circumference, and PA measurements, and an inverse correlation between BMI and R and Xc measurements. R and Xc mean values decreased with increasing BMI. In contrast, mean PA increased with greater weight. The results suggest that being overweight among the Khisêdjê Indigenous people was associated with higher muscle mass amounts.

Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and human papillomavirus infections of lower genital tract of Indigenous women from Xingu Indigenous Park.

Xingu Indigenous Park (XIP) currently protects 16 ethnic Indigenous groups and is located in the central area of Brazil. XIP is the first and the largest Indigenous land to be recognized in the country. Community access is limited and restricted for the non-Indigenous population, and the Indigenous women are constantly dealing with shortages of medical care. High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) is the most common cause of cervical cancer and is detected in 99% of cervical precancers. HPV infections may be associated with bacterial agents such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which are also important causative agents of sexually transmitted infections and are responsible for the most frequent bacterial infections in the world. The present study evaluated the frequency and potential impact of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and HR-HPV in the Indigenous women of XIP. In this cross-sectional study, 992 cervical-vaginal samples were collected from Indigenous women, using a Cervex-Brush, and were immediately placed in a SurePath medium. All samples were submitted to the cobas&reg; 4800 detection system for the identification of 14 different types of HR-HPV, and the multiplex Abbott RealTime CT/NG assay for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. HR-HPV was detected in 18.2% of women; 6% were positive for HPV16, 5% for HPV18, and 81% for other types of HR-HPV. Co-infections of HPV16 and other types was observed in 5% of women, and 3% had co-infections of HPV18 and other types. Moreover, 1.8% of women were positive for Chlamydia trachomatis, while Neisseria gonorrhoeae was not detected. In women with HR-HPV, 33% had Chlamydia trachomatis infections, 28% were positive for HR-HPV other than HPV16 or HPV18, and 5% had co-infections of HPV16 and the other types of HPV. Younger women were found to be more susceptible to HPV infections. The findings indicate a high frequency of HR-HPV and a considerable frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis in the Indigenous women of XIP. The detection of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and/or HR-HPV does not present evidence of a potential interrelationship for a combined pathogenic action in these women.

Assessing charcoal and phytolith signals for pre-Columbian land-use based on modern indigenous activity areas in the Upper Xingu, Amazonia

The nature and extent of past indigenous transformations in the Amazon basin is an actively debated topic, and one that has important implications for both conservation policy and the cultural heritage of its indigenous and traditional populations. The use of charcoal and phytoliths to measure past human impacts in non-lacustrine settings has become especially influential in this debate but has also generated disagreement among scholars regarding the possible limits of these proxies for detecting ancient land-use. To contribute empirical data to this issue, our paper presents the first attempt to study charcoal and phytolith signals from areas of modern indigenous land-use, in the Xingu Indigenous Territory, southern Amazonia. Our findings show that, while charcoal and early successional herb phytoliths are good indicators of land-use intensity, certain types of land-use leave subtler traces in the phytolith record that can hinder their detection. We demonstrate how using finer sampling resolution and comparing local proxy data on their own terms are necessary steps in order to identify trends in human land-use across time and space.

This is not like a village: encounters between indigenous people from the Xingu Indigenous Territory in the city of Canarana, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Resumo Este artigo propõe uma análise dos encontros entre indígenas do Território Indígena do Xingu (TIX) que ocupam a cidade de Canarana, Mato Grosso. A maior parte da população indígena presente nessa cidade provém das aldeias do Alto Xingu, mas há ali, constantemente, indígenas de todas as regiões do TIX. Marcada por uma socialidade específica, Canarana propicia aos indígenas possibilidade de experimentação de outras modalidades de proximidade social que não o parentesco, principal nexo relacional das aldeias. Nesse contexto, é comum que os indígenas neguem, com veemência, visitar outros indígenas na cidade – com exceção dos parentes próximos que, segundo dizem, são poucos. ‘Ir à casa de alguém’, porém, não é o mesmo que ‘visitar parentes’, e a ritualística da situação não remete apenas aos comportamentos da aldeia. O foco deste artigo é a descrição que os indígenas fazem desses encontros, nos quais pessoas das diferentes regiões do TIX mobilizam gradações de parentesco, aludindo, aqui, ao tema da boa distância, mas se esforçam também por acessar idiomas relacionais próprios ao ambiente da cidade, diferentes daqueles tipicamente estabelecidos nas aldeias.

Ball, Christopher. 2018. Exchanging words: language, ritual, and relationality in Brazil’s Xingu Indigenous Park. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press. 288 pp. Hb.: US$49.95. ISBN: 9780826358530.

Ball, Christopher. 2018. Exchanging words: language, ritual, and relationality in Brazil’s Xingu Indigenous Park. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press. 288 pp. Hb.: US$49.95. ISBN: 9780826358530.

Visual impairment and blindness in the Xingu Indigenous Park \u2013 Brazil

BackgroundMost estimates of visual impairment and blindness worldwide do not include data from specific minority groups as indigenous populations. We aimed to evaluate frequencies and causes of visual impairment and blindness in a large population sample from the Xingu Indigenous Park.MethodsCross-sectional study performed at Xingu Indigenous Park, Brazil, from 2016 to 2017. Residents from 16 selected villages were invited to participate and underwent a detailed ocular examination, including uncorrected (UVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). The main cause of UVA < 20/32 per eye was determined.ResultsA total of 2,099 individuals were evaluated. Overall, the frequency of visual impairment and blindness was 10.00% (95% CI: 8.72–11.29%) when considering UVA, decreasing to 7.15% (95% CI: 6.04–8.25%) when considering BCVA. For each increasing year on age, the risk of being in the visually impaired or blind category increased by 9% (p < 0.001). Cataracts (39.1%) and uncorrected refractive errors (29.1%) were the most frequent causes of visual impairment and blindness in this population. The main causes among those aged 45 years and more were cataracts (54.5%) while refractive errors were the main cause in adults aged 18 to 45 years (50.0%) and children up to 18 years old (37.1%).ConclusionsA higher frequency of visual impairment and blindness was observed in the indigenous population when compared to worldwide estimates with most of the causes being preventable and/or treatable. Blindness prevention programs should focus on accessibility to eye exam, cataract surgeries and eyeglass distribution.

The Other's Tongue: Place, Perspective, and the Desire to Speak Portuguese among the People of the Xingu Indigenous Territory

AbstractThis article examines the frequently expressed desire among people of the Xingu Indigenous Territory living in the city of Canarana, Brazil, to learn Portuguese. It examines such statements of intent, which are typically presented as a reason for indigenous urban migration. I argue that the desire to learn Portuguese is itself in need of investigation, to which end I turn to two Upper‐Xinguan Carib myths and a conversation at the headquarters of the Xingu indigenous land association. The indigenous presence in urban spaces offers evidence of the ways in which place serves as a perspectival stabilizer for them, in a world where perspective determines the body's form and, by extension, ontology. Based on long‐term fieldwork and the application of a technique of ethnographic imagination, adapted from Strathern, the article demonstrates how modulation of the tongue is a means of preserving autonomy in relations with Whites and a survival strategy.

People of the Rainforest: The Villas Boas Brothers, Explorers and Humanitarians of the Amazon

People of the Rainforest: The Villas Boas Brothers, Explorers and Humanitarians of the Amazon

Indigenous Knowledge and Forest Succession Management in the Brazilian Amazon: Contributions to Reforestation of Degraded Areas

The indigenous systems of agricultural and forest management in the Amazon are characterized by a deep knowledge of ecological processes, biodiversity, and the use and management of fire. The influence of these systems on the distribution of biodiversity includes semi-domesticated and domesticated species and landscapes, which have led to extensive anthropogenic or cultural forests. However, in many places, the livelihoods of indigenous peoples are being transformed by the intensification of agriculture and social, ecological, and economic changes, putting at risk the sustainability of production systems and food security and sovereignty of these peoples. In the last years, in the Xingu Indigenous Territory (XIT), the food production systems and the form of occupation of territories have changed, affecting the recovery of secondary forests, which now demand a too long period. The increase in the number and frequency of fires has aggravated this situation, due to a drier climate that has become predominant in the region. Changes in climate are attributed to deforestation in the neighboring municipalities, especially in the headwaters of the Xingu river basin. This study was conducted among the Kawaiwete (Tupi-Guarani) and the Ikpeng (Carib-Arara) peoples in the XIT, in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The main objective was to develop alternative techniques of forest management based on indigenous and scientific knowledge more adapted to the new livelihood contexts, aiming to favor forest regeneration in areas dominated by shifting cultivation. We sought to answer the following questions: (I) How do forests regenerate during the fallow period? (II) How can local management improve forest regeneration? (III) Are there indicator species for secondary succession, soil recovery, and vulnerability to fires? (IV) Is the increase in the number of fires affecting the sustainability of the shifting cultivation systems? Our results show that some local practices based on indigenous knowledge have the potential to facilitate natural regeneration, such as choosing forest areas that have been recovered for agricultural use, limiting the number of cultivation cycles, protecting and selecting of individual trees during cultivation period, and attracting seed dispersers. Assisted natural regeneration strategies grounded on indigenous knowledge are promising ways to restore degraded lands of the XIT.

Caries experience in children under 5 years old in the Xingu indigenous park in Brazil

Aim: The present study sought to investigate dental caries experience and its association with sociodemographic, postnatal and breastfeeding variables in children in the agerange from 6 to 71 months of age, in the Xingu Indigenous Park, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study that used secondary data pertaining to 402 indigenous children of the Low, Middle and Eastern Xingu regions, who participated in the Oral Health Epidemiological Survey in 2013. The dependent variable was dental caries, dichotomized by the median (dmf-t≤1 and dmf-t&gt;1). The data of independent variables were obtained by means of instruments of the Local Health Information System of the Xingu Indigenous Special Sanitary District (DSEI). Raw analyses were performed to test the association of the independent variables with the dependent variable. The variables were tested in the multiple logistic regression model. Results: The mean value of the dmf-t index was 2.60 and the prevalence of affected children was 51%. In the multiple analysis, only children older than 36 months (OR: 6.64; CI95%: 4.11 to 10.73) and those that were breastfed for a longer period of time (OR: 1.88; CI95%: 1.16 to 3.02) showed significant association with the dmf-t&gt;1 index. Conclusion: Childhood dental caries among indigenous children was associated with age and breastfeeding prolonged for over 26 months, therefore, pointing out the need to offer dental follow-up care at earlier ages.

Dicionários de Línguas Indígenas e Lexicografia Pedagógica

Demonstramos o desenvolvimento de políticas linguísticas que possibilitam ações de educação indígena a partir das línguas nativas. Refletimos sobre estudos do léxico de línguas minoritárias, como as línguas indígenas brasileiras, a relevância de pesquisas de léxico de especialidade, que contribui para obras terminográficas e lexicográficas. Levando em conta a proposta da Terminologia Etnográfica (FARGETTI, 2019), é abordado o campo da culinária entre os juruna do Território Indígena do Xingu, Mato Grosso, e como seu tratamento em vocabulário terminológico pode contribuir para a educação bilíngue intercultural e para o registro de parte importante de uma cultura tupi brasileira. Para isso, uma metodologia específica de trabalho de campo é necessária, com um diálogo entre ciências: a do pesquisador linguista e a do especialista indígena em uma área do saber. Assim, é apresentada uma discussão de verbete em juruna, com suas subentradas, elaborado por Mondini (2014), em comparação com verbete de obra lexicográfica sobre outra língua indígena brasileira, kaingang, o que permite uma contribuição aos Estudos do Léxico e sua utilização no ensino.

Trends in climate extreme indices assessed in the Xingu river basin - Brazilian Amazon

The Xingu River Basin (XRB), located in the Brazilian Amazon, is of great importance both in national and international contexts, especially regarding hydroelectric generation in the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Complex and forest conservation policies, given that the XRB is home to important conservation areas, such as the Xingu Indigenous Park. This paper analyzes climate extreme indices in the XRB, a region that lacks this sort of information. Trends in 22 climate extreme indices were evaluated, 11 of them for air temperature and 11 for rainfall, based on spatially gridded and high resolution daily data, for the period from 1980 to 2016. The temperature indices showed significant upward trends in daily temperatures (both maximum and minimum), an indication that, in recent decades, the days and nights have become warmer in the XRB. For rainfall, the indices indicated a downward trend in the central and southern regions of the XRB (Middle and Upper Xingu), and increasing rainfall in the northern region of the basin (Lower Xingu), however, with lower statistical significance when compared to air temperature indices. Commonly, the areas that presented statistically significant trends in the assessed climate extreme indices correspond to areas where there have been alterations in land cover due to increasing use in recent decades (areas of forest that were modified for pasture and agriculture) and in areas still preserved. This paper is an important tool to support decision making in management and strategic planning of water resources (for power generation and multiple uses) and for the elaboration of forest conservation policies (for combatting and controlling deforestation) in the XRB, in times when the region is under constant pressure from agribusiness for the expansion of agriculture and livestock.

BALL, Christopher. 2018. Exchanging Words: Language, ritual, and relationality in Brazil’s Xingu Indigenous Park. Santa Fe, NM: School for Advanced Research Press. 288 pp.

BALL, Christopher. 2018. Exchanging Words: Language, ritual, and relationality in Brazil’s Xingu Indigenous Park. Santa Fe, NM: School for Advanced Research Press. 288 pp.

Exchanging Words: Language, Ritual, and Relationality in Brazil's Xingu Indigenous Park. ChristopherBall. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. 2018. 274 pp.

Exchanging Words: Language, Ritual, and Relationality in Brazil's Xingu Indigenous Park. ChristopherBall. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. 2018. 274 pp.