MAXAKAI TRIBE FROM BRAZIL

THESE INDIANS ARE OVERCOMING GREAT DIFFICULTY ARE OVERCOMING GREAT DIFFICULTIES - ALCOHOLISM, SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENTS, AND ECOMOMIC PROBLEMS.

THEY AGAINST INTER ETHNIC MARRIAGES. THE MAXAKALI OF THE MUCIRI VALLEY ARE IN THE STATE OF MINAS GERAIS. THEY IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS KUMANAXUE.

THE MAXAKAI TRIBE ARE PART OF SEVERAL GROUPS. AFTER 1808 THEY WERE ORGANIZED POLITICALLY AS ALLIES WHEN THERE WAS A SYSTEMATIC INVASION OF THEIR LAND AND CONFLICTS WITH GROUPS. THEY HAD A CONFEDERATION, WHICH WAS CONNECTED TO A LARGER UNIT IN TERMS OF POLITICAL UNITS. BECAUSE OF THE DOMINATING SOCIETY SUCH VILLAGES BECAME ISOLATED FROM EACH OTHER. IN GEOGRAPHICAL TERMS. VARIOUS RITUAL GROUPS WERE IDENTIFIED AS OFFICIAL AND PRIVATE DOCUMENTS. VARIOUS RITUAL GROUPS WERE IDENTIFIED AS OFFICIAL AND PRIVATE DOCUMENTS. THE DIFFERENT GROUPS BEGAN TO BE IDENTIFIED AS DIFFERENT TRIBES. THE VISITORS WHO CAME HERE NOTICED THEIR LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION WERE SIMILAR AMONG GROUPS. THEY WERE ALLIED TO FIGHT ENEMIES WHO BELONG TO THE SAME ETHNIC GROUP. THEY BECAME ISOLATED FROM EACH OTHER IN GEOGRAPHICAL TERMS. THEY ESTABLISHED THE ALLIANCE WITH COLONISTS IN ORDER TO FIGHT TRADITIONAL ENEMIES. THE INDIANS CLAIMED TO BELONG TO THE SAME ETHNIC GROUP WHICH THE MALALI TESTIFIED.

THEY BUILT THEIR HOUSES BETWEEN THE PARDO AND DOCO RIVERS AND PRESENT DAY SOUTHEAST BAHIA. OTHER GROUPS LIVE IN THE TWO INDIGENOUS AREAS, AGUA BOA AND IN THE MACURA VALLEY. THE EARLIEST REFERENCES DATE TO THE 16TH CENTURY. BY THE 18TH CENTURY THE PORTUGUESE EXPANDED HERE. THE MALAKALI BECAME PRESSURE BY THE COLONISTS IN 1721 AND 1808. THIS AREA WAS CLOSED BY THE PORTUGUESE CROWN TO AVOID MINING.

THE NATIVES MOVE AROUND THIS REGION. THIS MADE THEM HAVE TERRITORIAL DISPUTES. EACH GROUP CAME UP WITH TO SETTLE DISPUTES. THE MAXAKOLI WERE RECRUITED TO ACCEPT BEING WORKERS IN COMPULSORY ORDERS FOR MILITARY DIVISIONS. FROM THEN ON THEY KNOWN AS TAME INDIANS. A SUBGROUP PATAX WERE UNSOCIABLE.

IN 1914 THE RAILROAD WAS BUILT ACROSS THE LLEMBURANAS RIVER, AND ESTABLISHED EXCHANGE RELATIONS WITH MACHIACALIS. THERE WAS PRESSURE FOR THE MAXAKALI OF THE KRAN AND RUBIAM FROM1917 TO MOVE TO UMBURANAS. THEY SOUGHT REFUGE THERE.

IN 1920 THERE WERE CONSTANT SKIRMISHES BETWEEN INDIANS AND NON INDIANS. IN 1920 THE STATE GOVERNMENT CEDED 2000 HA OF LAND TO THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ON THE RIVER. THEY HAD SEVERAL EPIDEMICS AND MUCH DISSATISFACTION. THERE WAS STILL CONFRONTATION WITH LAND OWNERS. THE INDIGENOUS POSTS WERE SEPARATED IN 1956 BY A CORRIDOR OF RURAL ESTABLISHMENTS.
THEIR HOUSES WERE VERY MINIMAL. ROUND IN STRUCTURE AND BUILT OF STAKES WITH ROOFS OF PALM LEAVES THEIR MATERIAL CULTURE WAS ALSO SIMPLE. THEIR WEAPONS ARE THE BOW AND ARROW FROM A TRUMPET BUSH. THEIR ARROWS ARE OF BAMBOO, IN THREE DIFFERENT FORMATS. SOME WERE FOR WAR, OTHERS FOR HUNTING LARGE GAME. THEY USE VARIOUS PALMS AND CARVE THEM. MEN MAKE BOWS AND ARROWS, BROOMS, LARGE BASKETS, SIFTERS, AND TWO STRING BOWS. WOMEN FISH, GATHER AND HARVEST ROCAS. THEY MAKE POTTERY, HAMMOCKS, NECKLACES, BASKETS FOR CARRYING OBJECTS WITH STRINGS PLACED ON THEIR FOREHEAD. IN THE PAST THEY WORE NO CLOTHING.. TODAY THEY HAVE ADOPTED CLOTHING OF ANGLOS. MUCH OF THEIR SOCIAL LIFE IS MARKED BY RITES. MEN HAVE SECRET RITUAL INITIATIONS. WOMEN HAVE NONE. BOYS ENTER A SMALL HUTS TO LEARN PROPER ACTIVITIES FOR BECOMING MEN.

THEY BELIEVE DISEASES ARE A RESULT OF SPIRITS THAT CAPTURE THE PERSON'S SOUL. THEY HAVE CURING RITUALS TO RESTORE BALANCE. THE MEN GO INTO A HOUSE OF RELIGION AND HAVE RULES. THEN THEY RETURN TO THE SICK ONE AND HOLD CHANTS AND PRAAYERS WITH A CLOUD OF SMOKE .

THEY ALSO HAVE RITES OF











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