The Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau are an Indigenous people of Brazil, living in the state of Rondônia.
They live in six villages on the borders of the Uru-Eu-Uaw-Uaw Indigenous Territory, which is shared by two other contacted groups, the Amondawa and Uru Pa In, the latter who speak a Chapacuran language, as well as the Jurureí, Parakua, and two uncontacted tribes whose names are not known.
Name The Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau people call themselves . They are also (mistakenly) known as the , , , , , , , as well as , Black-Mouths, Red-Heads, Urueu-Wau-Wau.
History The Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau came into contact with non-Natives, specifically the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) in 1981. The subsequent introduction of diseases, and violent attacks by outsiders, caused a drastic decrease in population from the initially estimated count of fewer than 1,000.
Rubber harvesters disputed FUNAI's demarcation of Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau lands. In 1991, one of the world's largest known tin deposits was discovered in Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau lands.
After 1993 their population began increasing again. The Uru-Eu-Uaw-Uaw Indigenous Territory was established by the Brazilian government to protect the tribes and only Indians can legally live in the indigenous territory; however, loggers and miners have regularly invaded their lands."Massive Invasion of Isolated Indians' Land." Survival International. 12 Jan 2007 (retrieved 26 April 2011) In the 2022 documentary The Territory, released by National Geographic, Bitaté, an Indigenous leader of the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, stated the population was approximately 180.
Missionaries are active among the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, and a non-governmental organization called Kanindé is trying to fight outside influences and assimilationists on the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau.
Language
Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau is one of the nine varieties of the Kagwahiva language, a Tupi–Guarani language, subgroup VI.
Culture The Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau are hunter-gatherers. They use a poison made from tree bark on their arrows when hunting tapir and other game. They are known for their distinctive tattoos around their mouths made from , a black vegetal dye.
See also Friends of Peoples Close to Nature, an NGO human rights organization that has worked with the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau Ten Thousand Years Older, 2002 documentary film about the tribes. The Territory, a 2022 documentary, tells the story of these people's struggle to defend their existence from encroaching land grabbers and deforestation.
Notes
External links Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau artwork, National Museum of the American Indian.