The Kawahiva: The Uncontacted Tribe Living in the Amazon Rainforest
The Kawahiva Tribe
The Kawahiva are an uncontacted indigenous tribe living in the dense Amazon rainforest of Brazil. They are a small nomadic tribe—meaning they move around often—but they weren’t always this way.
The Kawahiva may have once lived a peaceful, settled lifestyle, but today they live in constant fear for their lives.
Given their extreme isolation, we know very little of their current lifestyle. What we do know is largely due to the discoveries of what they have left behind during their travels.
So, who are the Kawahiva and what are they afraid of?
Where are they?
The Kawahiva live in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest. Rio Pardo, their territory, is located in the municipality of Colniza, in Mato Grosso state Brazil.
Colniza is said to be one of the most dangerous areas of Brazil due to violence and lawless governance.
Currently, the Kawahiva tribe is on the run. They are unable to stay in one place for very long due to ongoing attacks on their people from outsiders.
Who are they?
The Kawahiva are believed to be descendants from the Tupi—one of the largest groups of indigenous people in Brazil before its colonization.
The tribe has significantly decreased in size over the years due to growing threats from non-indigenous people. They have separated into smaller sections, multiple times for safety purposes.
Given that the Kawahiva have extremely limited contact with outsiders, we know very little of their culture. However, assumptions can be made based on nearby tribes who share similar cultural traditions.
Why can’t we contact them?
Any contact made with outsiders from the Kawahiva tribe has been viciously unsettling. Whoever is left of this tribe are survivors of numerous genocidal attacks, and are in grave danger.
The Rio Pardo territory has been savagely targeted by loggers, miners, ranchers, and land investors.
Disputes over the rights of the land have led to various attacks on the Kawahiva tribe, resulting in a massive loss of life.
In addition to a battle for their land, the tribe’s isolated way of life means they have not been exposed to many of the diseases the outside world carries, making contact with the outside world an extreme threat to their survival.
How big is the tribe?
It is estimated that there are only about 25 to 50 members of the Karahiva tribe left. The numbers have been decreasing significantly over the years as outsiders have invaded their lands, taking their lives in the process.
It is said that the tribe roams in small family-sized groups for protection. And it is suggested that in recent years the women of the tribe have even stopped giving birth.