Akuntsu
Encyclopedia
The Akuntsu are an indigenous people
of Rondônia
, Brazil
. Their land is part of the Rio Omerê Indigenous Territory, a small forest reserve which is also inhabited by a group of Kanoê
. The Akuntsu currently number just five individuals, having been the victims of a massacre
perpetrated by Brazilian cattle ranchers in the 1980s.
. Game is particularly abundant in their reserve, because it acts as a refuge for animals whose habitats have been destroyed by deforestation in the surrounding area. They possess a typical material culture
for the region and practice various shamanic
rituals. The Akuntsu language
is spoken only by members of the tribe and not fully understood by any outsider. It belongs to the Tuparí language family
.
by FUNAI
until 1995. 'Akuntsu' is an exonym applied to the tribe by the Kanoê
, who were contacted shortly before, meaning roughly "other Indians". The nearby Tupari are also recorded as knowing of a group called the 'Akontsu' or 'Wakontsón' whom they had never visited. In both cases, the Akuntsu had a reputation for being "dangerous" and seemingly had little contact with neighbouring indigenous peoples.
Before official contact, however, the Akuntsu experienced violent confrontations with white colonists, loggers and cattle ranchers that began entering their land in the 1970s following the construction of a highway. The seven remaining members encountered in 1995 reported an attack by armed cattle ranchers some time around 1990 in which the majority of the tribe was killed. Several of the survivors possessed scars and bullets lodged in their body when contacted and FUNAI was able to discover the site of the massacre—the Akuntsus' former village—which had been bulldozed in an attempt to cover up the evidence. At least fifteen were killed in this attack, which is thought to have been motivated by the knowledge that if the Akuntsu were officially contacted the forest would be declared an indigenous reserve and closed off to logging and cattle ranching.
A FUNAI team had been attempting to make contact with isolated indigenous groups in Corumbiara
since 1985, following reports made the previous year. Farmers in the area, however, consistently denied the presence of any indigenous people in the area and FUNAI issued the opinion that if uncontacted tribes had been there, they had since moved on. Subsequently in December 1986 the state interdiction on the area that had been put in place for FUNAI to conduct its search was lifted and farmers, cattle ranchers and loggers were able to resume legal expansion into the forest. The leader of the FUNAI team, however, continued searching and in 1995 encountered the Kanoê who in turn informed them of the Akuntsu. When an expedition finally made official contact with the Akuntsu in October of that year the tribe numbered seven: two adult men, three women and two young girls. The 26,000 hectare Igarapé Omerê Indigenous Territory was created for the Akuntsu and Kanoê, but the area of protected forest is still threatened by loggers and cattle ranchers which FUNAI have been unable to eject. In January 2000 the youngest girl died when a tree fell on her father's house during a storm. In October 2009 the oldest member of the group, Ururú, died, leaving the tribe with a population of just five.
It is unlikely that the Akuntsu language or culture will survive the deaths of its remaining members. For this reason several observers have described the tribe as the victims of genocide
. The neighbouring Kanoê have been similarly reduced in number through contact with settlers, as were the people of a man recently encountered living alone in the Igarapé Omerê reserve who is apparently the sole survivor of his tribe.
Indigenous peoples in Brazil
The Indigenous peoples in Brazil comprise a large number of distinct ethnic groups who inhabited the country prior to the European invasion around 1500...
of Rondônia
Rondônia
Rondônia is a state in Brazil, located in the north-western part of the country. To the west is a short border with the state of Acre, to the north is the state of Amazonas, in the east is Mato Grosso, and in the south is Bolivia. Its capital is Porto Velho. The state was named after Candido Rondon...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Their land is part of the Rio Omerê Indigenous Territory, a small forest reserve which is also inhabited by a group of Kanoê
Kanoê
The Kanoê are an indigenous people of southern Rondônia, Brazil, near the Bolivian border. There are two major groups of Kanoê: one residing in the region of the Guaporé River and another in the Rio Omerê Indigenous Territory...
. The Akuntsu currently number just five individuals, having been the victims of a massacre
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
perpetrated by Brazilian cattle ranchers in the 1980s.
Culture
The Akuntsu are primarily hunter-gatherers, supplemented by some swidden agricultureShifting cultivation
Shifting cultivation is an agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned. This system often involves clearing of a piece of land followed by several years of wood harvesting or farming, until the soil loses fertility...
. Game is particularly abundant in their reserve, because it acts as a refuge for animals whose habitats have been destroyed by deforestation in the surrounding area. They possess a typical material culture
Material culture
In the social sciences, material culture is a term that refers to the relationship between artifacts and social relations. Studying a culture's relationship to materiality is a lens through which social and cultural attitudes can be discussed...
for the region and practice various shamanic
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
rituals. The Akuntsu language
Akuntsu language
Akuntsu is an undocumented Tupian language of Brazil. Peaceful contact with the Akuntsu people was only made in 1995; they had been massacred by cattle ranchers in the 1980s....
is spoken only by members of the tribe and not fully understood by any outsider. It belongs to the Tuparí language family
Tupari languages
The Tuparí languages of Brazil form a branch of the Tupian language family.They are Tuparí, Kepkiriwát, Makuráp, Sakirabiá, Wayoró, and Akuntsu.None are spoken by more than a few hundred people....
.
Contact history
The Akuntsu are considered an 'isolated' tribe by the Brazilian government. They were not officially contactedFirst contact (anthropology)
First contact is a term describing the first meeting of two cultures previously unaware of one another. One notable example of first contact is that between the Spanish and the Arawak in 1492....
by FUNAI
Fundação Nacional do Índio
Fundação Nacional do Índio or FUNAI is a Brazilian governmental protection agency for Indian interests and their culture.It was originally called the SPI and was founded by the Brazilian Marshal Cândido Rondon in 1910, who also created the agency's motto, "Die if necessary, but never kill." The...
until 1995. 'Akuntsu' is an exonym applied to the tribe by the Kanoê
Kanoê
The Kanoê are an indigenous people of southern Rondônia, Brazil, near the Bolivian border. There are two major groups of Kanoê: one residing in the region of the Guaporé River and another in the Rio Omerê Indigenous Territory...
, who were contacted shortly before, meaning roughly "other Indians". The nearby Tupari are also recorded as knowing of a group called the 'Akontsu' or 'Wakontsón' whom they had never visited. In both cases, the Akuntsu had a reputation for being "dangerous" and seemingly had little contact with neighbouring indigenous peoples.
Before official contact, however, the Akuntsu experienced violent confrontations with white colonists, loggers and cattle ranchers that began entering their land in the 1970s following the construction of a highway. The seven remaining members encountered in 1995 reported an attack by armed cattle ranchers some time around 1990 in which the majority of the tribe was killed. Several of the survivors possessed scars and bullets lodged in their body when contacted and FUNAI was able to discover the site of the massacre—the Akuntsus' former village—which had been bulldozed in an attempt to cover up the evidence. At least fifteen were killed in this attack, which is thought to have been motivated by the knowledge that if the Akuntsu were officially contacted the forest would be declared an indigenous reserve and closed off to logging and cattle ranching.
A FUNAI team had been attempting to make contact with isolated indigenous groups in Corumbiara
Corumbiara
Corumbiara is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rondônia. Its population in 2005 was 9,569 and its area is 3,060 km²....
since 1985, following reports made the previous year. Farmers in the area, however, consistently denied the presence of any indigenous people in the area and FUNAI issued the opinion that if uncontacted tribes had been there, they had since moved on. Subsequently in December 1986 the state interdiction on the area that had been put in place for FUNAI to conduct its search was lifted and farmers, cattle ranchers and loggers were able to resume legal expansion into the forest. The leader of the FUNAI team, however, continued searching and in 1995 encountered the Kanoê who in turn informed them of the Akuntsu. When an expedition finally made official contact with the Akuntsu in October of that year the tribe numbered seven: two adult men, three women and two young girls. The 26,000 hectare Igarapé Omerê Indigenous Territory was created for the Akuntsu and Kanoê, but the area of protected forest is still threatened by loggers and cattle ranchers which FUNAI have been unable to eject. In January 2000 the youngest girl died when a tree fell on her father's house during a storm. In October 2009 the oldest member of the group, Ururú, died, leaving the tribe with a population of just five.
It is unlikely that the Akuntsu language or culture will survive the deaths of its remaining members. For this reason several observers have described the tribe as the victims of genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
. The neighbouring Kanoê have been similarly reduced in number through contact with settlers, as were the people of a man recently encountered living alone in the Igarapé Omerê reserve who is apparently the sole survivor of his tribe.
See also
- Awa people
- ColonialismColonialismColonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
- Indian massacre
- Indigenous rightsIndigenous rightsIndigenous rights are those rights that exist in recognition of the specific condition of the indigenous peoples. This includes not only the most basic human rights of physical survival and integrity, but also the preservation of their land, language, religion and other elements of cultural...
- Survival InternationalSurvival InternationalSurvival International is a human rights organisation formed in 1969 that campaigns for the rights of indigenous tribal peoples and uncontacted peoples, seeking to help them to determine their own future. Their campaigns generally focus on tribal peoples' fight to keep their ancestral lands,...