The Kaxarari are an indigenous tribe who live in Brazil, on the border
between the states of Rondônia and Amazonas, near the the BR-364 federal
highway. There were 322 Kaxarari people in the group in 2009, according to
Funasa.
Problems
In 1910 they lived near the Curequeté river, and there were around 2000
people. The population was reduced to 200 people because of continuous attacks
by Peruvian and Brazilian rubber collectors, which lasted until 1980. After
that the population managed to recover slightly.
During the 20th they had to move through the region to search for better
living conditions as their original lands were target of collectors of latex,
brazilnuts, and precious stones.
Language
Kaxarari isn't the tribe's autonym, and its origin is unknown. The first
references date from the start of the 20th century. In 1910, João Alberto Masô,
an engineer with the Brazil/Bolivia/Peru Border Commission who, used the name
Cacharary, which is phonetically similar.
It is possible that the name originated from interethnic contact.
The Kaxarari speak a language from the Pano family which similar to that
spoken by the Yaminawa, Kaxinawa, Yawanawa, Nukini, Katukina and
Poyanawa who live in Acre.
Population
The Kaxarari live in four villages: Marmelinho, Barrinha, Paxiúba and
Pedreira. They're located within the Kaxarari Indigenous Territory, on the
border between Amazonas and Rondônia. The reservation is near the city of
Porto Velho, capital of Rondonia.
According to the report by Terri Vale de Aquino, in 1910 João Alberto Masô
located the Kaxarari near the Curequeté creek, an affluent of the Ituxy
river.
The older people in the tribe state that their houses were originally also
near other rivers and creeks in the region as well.
External links
Kaxarari at
socioambiental.org