At the time of the invasion of Brazil by the Europeans, a total of 2,000 Indigenous nations, divided into several thousand tribes, existed in Brazil. The total number of Native tribes which inhabited present day Brazil at the time of first contact is disputed and difficult to ascertain. The names of large number of tribes who were exterminated as a result of intertribal warfare are not recorded anywhere and so is the case of several smaller tribes who were wiped out by the colonizers. Curt Nimuendajú gives a list of 1,400 nations in his monumental work Mapa etno-histórico do Brasil e regiões adjacentes, but he ignored many smaller (extinct) tribes in Eastern Brazil, and was at the time of writing unaware of some other tribes which were uncontacted at that time. Currently only 200 nations (790 tribes) are alive, with no survivors being reported for the remaining nations. However, this does not mean their bloodlines are extinct; only their cultures. Brazilian Pardo and Mestizo population have mostly unknown indigenous backgrounds, some or several of them likely stemming from extinct cultures. The Bandeirantes hunted and enslaved indigenous peoples in the then unexplored interior of Brazil from the 16th to the early 19th century. The indigenous peoples were eventually acculturated and integrated into European civilization.
Most of the recorded extinctions of the Brazilian tribes were caused by warfare with the neo-Brazilians and from the epidemics which were sometimes deliberately spread by the colonizers. Intertribal warfare between various native Brazilian tribes also caused a significant number of extinctions. For example, the Matses, one of the tribes in the Vale do Javari region exterminated at least 4 smaller tribes during the 20th century.
Famous extinct Brazilian nations
Out of the more than 1,800 extinct nations and thousands of tribes, names are available for only a few of them.
Abacaxis - Abacaxis River Abaeté - Tupian (?). Minas Gerais. Extinct since the 18th century Abaeté do Rio Madeira - Same as Abacátes (?). Rio Madeira, Amazonas Abarés - Northeast Brazil Acauas - Also known as Acauans - Lower Amazon Achouaris - Rio Jurua and Rio Solimoes Acroa - Bahia province - related to Xokleng people Addaraias - Rio Negro Adorias - Near Amazon River - extinct since the start of the 19th century Aipatsé - Previously inhabited the Xingu river region - became extinct during the 1980s Anumania - Previously inhabited the Xingu river region Aracadaini - Amazonas Araés - Goias Araraus - Rio Jatapu, Amazonas Ariquéns - Rio Jamari, Rondonia Amena-Diapá - Once inhabited the region around São Felipe river, in the Acre - Amazonas border Bacuéns - Minas Gerais Beaquéos - Mato Grosso do Sul Boimés - Sergipe Boraris - Para Burukäyo - Related to the Arikapú Cabixiana - Near Corumbiara, Rondônia. Became extinct during the 1940s. Caeté - Once inhabited the region near the mouth of river São Francisco to the island of Itamaracá. Camamu - Ceara Campe - Related to Makurap. From Rio Mequens, Rondonia. Extinct since early 20th century. Canela, Kenkateye - Part of the Canela nation. Originally from Serra das Alpercatas, Maranhao. According to Nimuendajú, this tribe became extinct after the ranchers massacred them in 1913. Cauixana - Arawakan. From Rio Mauapari. Extinct since early 20th century. Cataguéo - Related to Caduveo Coropó - Espirito Santo Cracmuns - Minas Gerais Crateús - Piaui Cucoecamecrãs - Maranhao Cujigeneris - Amazonas Cupinharós - Once lived in Piaui Goitacá - Previously inhabited a large stretch of the eastern Brazilian coast, from the São Mateus River to the Paraíba do Sul River. Guatiedéos - Mato Grosso do Sul. Guatiedéo - Related to Caduveo Gueguê - Piaui Guayanases - Are known to have inhabited the Plains of Piratininga which is now the city of São Paulo. Irã-Amráire - One of the Kayapo nations. Numbered 3,000 in 1900, divided into five tribes (Kren-re, Nhangagakrin, Kuben Ken Kam, Me Mranh & Mejôt´yr). Became extinct in the 20th century. Jeikó - Extinct since the 19th century. Kinikinao - Matro Grosso do Sul. Extinct in mid-20th century. Kutenabu (Kustenau) - Previously inhabited the Xingu river region. Became extinct in 20th century The last two survivors, a woman and her son, were assimilated into the Waura. Maxubí - Related to the Arikapú. Manitsawa - Previously inhabited the Xingu river region Mbaya - Guaycuruan speakers and nomads of the Gran Chaco, who migrated to Mato Grosso do Sul in the late 18th century. Survived by the Kadiweu. Naravute - Previously inhabited the Xingu river region. Became extinct during the 1940s. Purí - Previously resided in coastal Brazil. Tapajós - Amazonas Tupinambá - Once inhabited the Atlantic coast of Brazil. Urucu - Related to Botocudo, Minas Gerais. Western Bororo - Extinct since the end of 19th century.
Recent extinctions
According to Darcy Ribeiro, a total of 87 tribes became extinct during the 1900-57 period. Another 38 became Assimilated (detribalized and merged in to the general population).
Recorded extinctions of Brazilian tribes during the 1900–1957 time period:Ribeiro, D. (1967). Indigenous cultures and languages of Brazil. In J. H. Hopper (Ed.), Indians of Brazil in the Twentieth Century (pp. 77–166). Washington D.C.: Institute for cross-cultural research.
Tribe*Language FamilyLocationAipatseCaribRio Culuene, MTAminapeTupiRio Mequens, ROApaniekraJeRio Porquinhos, MaranhãoApiakaTupiUpper Rio TapajósArara do Xingu [Pariri, Timirem.etc.]CaribBetween Xingu and TocantinsArara [4 different tribes]NA1. Jamaxim 2. Manicore 3. Rio Preto 4. Rio Guaraibas, PA/AMArawineTupiRio 7 de Setembro, MTArikenTupiBetween Rio Candeia and Rio Jamari, ROAruaTupiRio Branco, ROBaenanBaenanLeft bank of Rio Pardo, BahiaBotocudos [Pojixa, Nakreehe, Minajirum, Jiporok, Gutkrak, Krenak]BotocudosBahia & Minas GeraisEmerilonTupiFar North AmapaEspinhosPanoRio Corumaha, AcreGuarategajaTupiRio Mequens, ROHuariHuariRio Corumbiara, ROItogapukTupiRio Madeirinha, AMIpotewatTupiUpper Cacoal, ROJabutifedTupiBetween Rio Cacoal & Rio Riosinho, ROJabutiNAUpper Rio BrancoKabixianaTupiUpper Rio Corumbiara, ROKamakanKamakanBahiaKanamariKatukinaUpper Inauini, AMKaripuna do RondoniaPanoRio Capivari, ROKaritianaTupiAlto Rio Candeias, AMKatianaAruakUpper Rio PurusKaxarariAruakUpper Rio Curuquete, AM-ACKayapo-KradauJeN. Araguaia, S.ParaKayapo do SulJeBoundary of Minas Gerais and São PauloKayuixanaAruakBetween Rio Japura and Rio Solimoes, AMKenkateyeJeRio Alpercatas, MaranhaoKepkiriwatTupiRio Pimenta Bueno, ROKinikinaoAruakAquidauana, MSKrem YeJeMaranhão - ParaKrikatiJeMaranhãoKujijineriAruakBetween Upper Envira and Curumaha, AcreKunibaAruakBetween Juruasinho and Jutai, AMKurinaPanoRio Jutai & Rio Jandiatuba, AMKuruayaTupiRio Jamaxim, S ParaKustenaoAruakRio Batovi and Rio Ronuro, MTKuyanawaPanoNW. AcreLayanaAruakRio Miranda, MSMakurapTupiRio Branco, ROManiteneriAruakRio Purus, AcreManitsawaTupiUpper Xingu, MTMarakanaNAMountains south of Rio Uraricoera, RoraimaMarawaAruakLower Jutai, AMMatanawiMatanawiLower Marmelos, AMMayorunaPanoRio Javari, AMMialatTupiUpper Leitao, ROMiranhaWitotoRio Tefe, Rio Caicara, AMMonde or SanamaikaTupiRight of Pimenta Bueno, RONaravuteCaribMiddle Culuene, MTNatuNASergipeOfayeOfaieMSOtiOtiCampos Novos, São PauloOyanpik or WayampiTupiOiapoque, AmapaPalmelasCaribRight of Rio Guapore, ROParawa [Hon, Maro-Djapa]KatukinaLeft of Upper Jurua, AMPaseAruakLower Rio Ica, AMPataxo-HahahaiPataxoJequitinhonha, BahiaPauxiCaribRight of Middle Cumina, ParaPauxianaCaribBetween Rio Mocajai and Rio Catrimani, RoraimaPayaguá Guaycuruan? Along the Paraguay River and in Mato Grosso do Sul. The last Payaguá died in 1942. PoyanawaPanoUpper Rio Moa, AcrePurukotoCaribMaraca Island, Rio Uraricoera, RoraimaRama RamaTupiRio Anari & Rio Machadinho, ROSakuyaPanoExtreme NW AcreSanamaikaTupiLeft of Pimenta Bueno, ROTakuatepTupiRio Tamuripa, ROToraChapacuraLower Marmelos, AMTsuvaCaribMiddle Culuene, MTTuriwáraTupiMaranhãoTxakamekraJeRio das Flores, MaranhãoUrumiTupiRight of Rio Jiparana, ROWainumaAruakMiddle Japura, Amazonas - Colombia borderWarekenaAruakRio Icana and Rio Xie, NW AMWayoroNAUpper Rio Branco, ROXipayaTupiRio Iriri & Rio Curua, ParaYuberiAruakLower Tapaua & Middle Purus, AMYumaNAUpper Ipixuna & Tabocal, AMYuriTicuna-YuriBetween Ica, Japura & Solimões *Ribeiro grouped several nations into one in certain cases. For example, the Arara are actually 4 different tribes, which may or may not be linguistically and ethnically related. In such cases, the names of the known individual nations are given in Square Brackets. In some cases, the tribes which were classified as extinct later re-emerged and exerted their identity. Examples are Krenak and Apiacá In certain other cases, tribes which became extinct in Brasil existed as a living nation elsewhere, such as the Oyanpik
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