Zoʼé
The Zoʼé people are an Indigenous people of the eastern Amazon rainforest, living in the state of Pará, northern Brazil. Their territory lies within the municipality of Óbidos, primarily between the Erepecuru River and the Cuminapanema River, both tributaries of the lower Amazon basin.
The Zoʼé belong to the Tupi–Guarani cultural group and are among the most recently contacted Indigenous peoples in Brazil.
Until the late twentieth century, the Zoʼé lived in near complete isolation. Sustained contact with non-Indigenous society occurred only in the 1980s and was followed by severe demographic decline due to the spread of introduced infectious diseases. Since the 1990s, their territory has been subject to protection measures, and their population has gradually stabilized and begun to recover. Current population estimates are approximately 250 individuals.
Name
They are also known as the Poturu, Poturujara, or Buré. The term "Zoʼé" means "us", as opposed to non-Indians or enemies. The term "Poturu" is the type of wood used to make the embe'po labrets which they wear.Language
The Zoʼé language belongs to Subgroup VIII of the Tupi-Guarani language family. It is closely related to other northern Tupi–Guarani languages but shows distinctive phonological and lexical features. The language remains in active use across all age groups, and Portuguese is not widely spoken among the Zoʼé.Territory
The Zoʼé territory is located in a remote forested region between the Erepecuru and Cuminapanema rivers, north of the Amazon River. The area is characterized by dense tropical rainforest, interspersed with rivers, streams, and Brazil nut groves. The territory was officially ratified by the Brazilian government in 2009 for the exclusive use of the Zoʼé.Access to the territory is strictly controlled by the Brazilian state in order to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Entry by outsiders is subject to health screening and authorization procedures.
History of contact
The Zoʼé are believed to have occupied their current territory for centuries prior to contact. Sporadic encounters with non-Indigenous people occurred during the mid twentieth century, particularly with hunters, Brazil nut collectors, and gold prospectors. These encounters remained limited and did not result in sustained interaction.In 1975, a mineral survey aircraft flying over the region reported the presence of previously uncontacted communities. Between 1982 and 1987, missionaries affiliated with the New Tribes Mission undertook expeditions into Zoʼé territory and made intermittent contact, including the dropping of goods from aircraft.
According to missionary accounts, the first sustained face-to-face contact occurred on 5 November 1987, when Zoʼé individuals approached a mission base established near their territory. Following contact, a concentration of population around the mission led to outbreaks of influenza, malaria, and other infectious diseases. These epidemics caused the death of an estimated one quarter of the Zoʼé population between the early 1980s and late 1980s.
In response to the health crisis, the Brazilian government agency responsible for Indigenous affairs, FUNAI, expelled the missionaries in 1991 and assumed responsibility for health care and territorial protection. Medical facilities were established within the territory to reduce the need for evacuation to urban centers.
Settlement and subsistence
The Zoʼé live in large rectangular communal houses constructed of wood and thatch, open on all sides. Several families typically share a single house, sleeping in hammocks suspended from roof beams and cooking over open fires along the sides. Fire is kept continuously burning within villages and is transmitted between generations. Settlements are usually built within or adjacent to cultivated gardens and are relocated periodically.Subsistence is based on a combination of hunting, fishing, gathering, and horticulture. The Zoʼé cultivate manioc, bananas, sweet potatoes, peppers, cotton, and urucum. Manioc is processed into flour to remove its toxic properties. Annatto seeds are crushed to produce a red dye used for body painting and for coloring cotton fibers prior to spinning. Hunting is carried out over extensive forest areas, with monkeys representing a preferred prey, and juvenile animals captured during hunts are often brought back to the village and raised as pets, known as raimbé. The Zoʼé also fish using harpoons and plant-based fish poisons derived from crushed vines. Brazil nuts play an important role in both diet and material culture, with shells and fibers used to manufacture bracelets, hammocks, and other domestic objects.
Social organization and marriage
Zoʼé society is broadly egalitarian and does not recognize formal chiefs or centralized political authority. Decision-making is collective and based on consensus, particularly in matters concerning residence, marriage, and subsistence activities. Certain articulate men, referred to as yü, may exert greater influence in discussions related to settlement relocation or the opening of new gardens.Marriage practices among the Zoʼé are complex and flexible. Both polygyny and polyandry are practiced, and individuals may have multiple spouses over the course of their lives. A form of apprenticeship marriage exists in which young men act as "learning husbands", contributing labor and hunting while acquiring social and marital skills. Household composition and marital arrangements are not fixed and may change over time.
Ritual life and body modification
A defining feature of Zoʼé identity is the wearing of the mʼberpót or poturu a long wooden plug inserted into the lower lip. Body modification plays a central role in Zoʼé ritual life and social identity. Lip piercing is a rite of passage for children and is typically performed between the ages of six and nine, initially with small plugs that are gradually replaced by larger ones as individuals grow older.Zoʼé oral tradition attributes the origin of the lip plug to an ancestral figure named Sihiéʼabyr. Body painting is common, particularly the application of red pigment made from crushed annatto seeds. Women often wear elaborate headdresses made from the white breast feathers of the king vulture.
Rituals accompany major life events, including birth, death, first menstruation, and the first successful tapir hunt by adolescent boys. One of the most important collective ceremonies is Sehʼpy, which may be performed to mark significant events. During this ritual, participants consume a naturally fermented beverage made from tubers, dance and sing throughout the night, and conclude the ceremony at dawn.
Demography and health
Following sustained contact with outsiders in the 1980s, the Zoʼé experienced a severe demographic collapse due to the spread of introduced infectious diseases. Approximately one quarter of the population is reported to have died during this period. After the expulsion of evangelical missionaries in 1991 and the introduction of controlled contact policies, the population gradually stabilized and began to recover, reaching an estimated 250–260 individuals in the 2010s. Despite the provision of on-site medical care and restrictions on access to their territory, the Zoʼé remain highly vulnerable to diseases transmitted by outsiders, including respiratory infections such as influenza and measles, against which immunity remains limited.Current challenges
The Zoʼé territory faces ongoing external pressures, particularly from illegal economic activities. These include incursions by illegal gold miners, whose operations have caused significant environmental damage, including deforestation, the excavation of large craters, and contamination of rivers with mercury. As fishing constitutes an important component of Zoʼé subsistence, mercury pollution poses a direct threat to food security and health. Brazilian authorities have periodically launched joint operations to remove illegal miners from the territory in response to these risks.In addition to mining pressures, the Zoʼé continue to face risks associated with unauthorized contact by missionaries and other outsiders, as well as longer-term threats linked to agricultural expansion and extractive activities in surrounding regions. In February 2011, a delegation of Zoʼé representatives traveled to Brasília for the first time to present demands to federal authorities, including requests for culturally appropriate education initiatives, training of Zoʼé health workers, and greater participation in programs aimed at protecting their territory.