3-4 Cultural Survival in Brazil When the first Portuguese ships landed on the coast of what we now know as Brazil, more than 2 million people inhabited the vast, mineral- rich land. The natives lived in small, isolated settlements, spoke a variety of languages, and embraced many different cultural traditions. Today, over five centuries later, Brazil’s population has grown to more than 192 mil- lion, only about 650,000 of whom are indig- enous peoples descended from the original inhabitants. Over 200 different indigenous groups have survived, living a life tied closely to the land and the rivers, just as their ances- tors did. But over the past two generations, their numbers have dwindled as booms in min- ing, logging, oil drilling, and agriculture have encroached on their land and their settlements. Many indigenous groups were once nomads, moving around from one hunting or fishing ground to another. Now they are hemmed in on the reservations the government confined them to, surrounded by huge farms or ranches whose owners deny their right to live off the land. State officials may insist that laws restrict the development of indigenous lands, but indigenous peoples tell a different story. In Mato Grosso, a heavily forested state near the Amazon River, loggers have been clear-cutting the land at a rate that alarms the Bororo, an indigenous group that has lived in the area for centuries. According to one elder, the Bororo are now confined to six small reservations of about 500 square miles—much less than the area officially granted them in the 19th century. In the face of dwindling resources, indig- enous groups like the Bororo struggle to maintain their culture. Though the tribe still observes the traditional initiation rites for ado- lescent boys, members are finding it difficult to continue their hunting and fishing rituals, given the scarcity of game and fish in the area. Pesticides in the runoff from nearby farms have poisoned the water they fish and bathe in, threatening both their health and their cul- ture’s survival. LET’S DISCUSS 1. Compare the frontier in Brazil today to the American West in the 1800s. What similari- ties do you see? 2. What does society lose when indigenous cultures die?
3-4 Cultural Survival in Brazil When the first Portuguese ships landed on the coast of what we now know as Brazil, more than 2 million people inhabited the vast, mineral- rich land. The natives lived in small, isolated settlements, spoke a variety of languages, and embraced many different cultural traditions. Today, over five centuries later, Brazil’s population has grown to more than 192 mil- lion, only about 650,000 of whom are indig- enous peoples descended from the original inhabitants. Over 200 different indigenous groups have survived, living a life tied closely to the land and the rivers, just as their ances- tors did. But over the past two generations, their numbers have dwindled as booms in min- ing, logging, oil drilling, and agriculture have encroached on their land and their settlements. Many indigenous groups were once nomads, moving around from one hunting or fishing ground to another. Now they are hemmed in on the reservations the government confined them to, surrounded by huge farms or ranches whose owners deny their right to live off the land. State officials may insist that laws restrict the development of indigenous lands, but indigenous peoples tell a different story. In Mato Grosso, a heavily forested state near the Amazon River, loggers have been clear-cutting the land at a rate that alarms the Bororo, an indigenous group that has lived in the area for centuries. According to one elder, the Bororo are now confined to six small reservations of about 500 square miles—much less than the area officially granted them in the 19th century. In the face of dwindling resources, indig- enous groups like the Bororo struggle to maintain their culture. Though the tribe still observes the traditional initiation rites for ado- lescent boys, members are finding it difficult to continue their hunting and fishing rituals, given the scarcity of game and fish in the area. Pesticides in the runoff from nearby farms have poisoned the water they fish and bathe in, threatening both their health and their cul- ture’s survival. LET’S DISCUSS 1. Compare the frontier in Brazil today to the American West in the 1800s. What similari- ties do you see? 2. What does society lose when indigenous cultures die?
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