PREFACE 



The field work on which this monograph is based 

 was carried out as a part of the teaching and field 

 research program in anthropology conducted 

 jointly by the Institute of Social Anthropology of 

 the Smithsonian Institution and the Escola de 

 Sociologia e Politica de Sao Paulo, during June, 

 July, and August of 1947, 1948, and 1949. In 

 1947, when I visited the Bacairi, Umotina, Paressi, 

 and Bororo, I was accompanied by Fernando Al- 

 tenf elder Silva, then a student of the Escola but 

 presently a graduate student of anthropology at 

 Columbia University. On the Xingu trip in 1948, 

 I was accompanied by Fernando and Kaoro Onaga, 

 also a student of the Escola. In 1949, when I 

 visited the Nambicuara and Umotina I was ac- 

 companied by Kaoro. This field work was in 

 essence a continuation of the research begun in 

 southern Ma to Grosso among the Terena and Ca- 

 duveo in 1946 and 1947, the results of which have 

 been published as Publication No. 9 of the Insti- 

 tute of Social Anthropology, Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion. Although the title of the present monograph 

 reads "Indian Tribes of Northern Mato Grosso," 

 it should not be interpreted as covering all the 

 tribes in that vast region, many of which are still 

 unidentified. 



I especially wish to thank Dr. Cyro Berlinck, 

 the director of the Escola de Sociologia e Politica, 

 not only for his enthusiasm and sympathetic 

 understanding of the research program, but for 

 contributing the funds necessary to maintain the 

 students in the field. I also wish to thank the 

 staff of the Escola for their counsel, particularly 

 Dr. Antonio Miiller and Dr. Otavio da Costa 

 Eduardo. I am particularly grateful to the 

 director and field personnel of the Servico de 

 Protecao aos Indios whose assistance has been of 

 immeasurable help in the field. I wish to acknowl- 

 edge, too, the help of the personnel of the Funda- 

 cao Brasil Central for their assistance while we 

 remained at their camp in the Upper Xingu. 



Finally, I wish to express my appreciation for 

 the assistance and kindness extended to me by 

 the American missionaries who are active in 

 northern Mato Grosso, particularly, Rev. C. 

 Thomas Young, Rev. W. L. Buckman, Rev. 

 Robert E. Meader, and Rev. Emil W. Halverson. 



And now I wish to thank my wife, Lois, for her 

 critical comments and for typing the draft of this 

 monograph. 



VII 



