Indian Tribes of Northern Mato Grosso 



Brazil 



By Kalervo Oberg 



THE CAMAYURA 



THE UPPER XINGU BASIN AND ITS 

 PEOPLE 



THE REGION 



The Xingu is one of the great tributaries of the 

 Amazon River, which, from its sources in the ex- 

 tensive sandstone plateaus of the Brazilian Shield, 

 flows northward between the Araguaia-Tocantins 

 and Tapajoz Rivers to join the Amazon near its 

 mouth, west of Marajo Island. The headwaters 

 of the Xingu include live major tributaries which 

 join the Xingu proper at approximately latitude 

 12° south, thus forming a triangular drainage basin 

 enclosed roughly between longitudes 52° and 55.5° 

 west and latitudes 12° and 14° south. From west 

 to east these tributaries are: Rio Von den Steinen, 

 Rio Ronuro, Rio Batovi, Rio Kuliseu, and Rio 

 Kuluene. 



This region, which we might call the Upper 

 Xingu Basin, is bounded on the south by the 

 semiarid Planalto do Matogrosense, on the east 

 by the Serra do Roncador, and on the west by 

 the Serra Formosa. On its northward course the 

 Xingu gradually enters the denser forests of the 

 Amazon Basin, its descent being broken by numer- 

 ous rapids. Within the Basin itself the five prin- 

 cipal tributaries, plentifully stocked with fish, 

 provide at least 1,000 miles of easily navigable 

 waterway for canoes. These physical features, 

 which give the Basin a degree of isolation and a 

 wealth of resources not found in the immediate 

 surroundings, account in great measure for the 

 concentration of Indian tribes in the area. 



At their sources the tributaries are clear and 

 swift, but as tbey enter the Basin they become 

 meandering, muddy streams, filled with sandbars 

 in the dry season and overflowing their banks for 

 miles around during the rains. The topography 

 and vegetation of the Basin are in sharp contrast 

 to the plateau in which the rivers find their 

 sources. On the "serrado," or plateau, the forest, 

 the so-called "galeria" forests, are along the mar- 

 gins of the rivers, while the flat plateau is covered 

 with grass and scrub forest. In the Basin, how- 

 ever, the margins of the rivers are covered with 

 dense growths of bamboo, vines, and flood- 

 resisting trees. During the rainy season this short 

 forest is covered with water, and during the dry 

 season the trees and plants are able to grow by 

 water obtained from the river. Back of this short 

 forest margin is the flood plain ranging in width 

 from one-half mile to many miles. During the rainy 

 season it is covered with water, but during the 

 dry season it is too dry to sustain forest life. On 

 the flood plain, therefore, we find only buritf palms, 

 bushes, and grass. On the whole, the flood plain 

 is open country. On the higher ground between 

 the rivers which is not covered by floods we find 

 the permanent forest. Compared with the "ser- 

 rado," or savanna, the situation is reversed here. 

 The permanent forest belt lies between the rivers 

 on high ground while the flood plain is open. On 

 the "serrado" the "galena" forest follows the 

 stream beds of the rivers, while the high ground 

 between the rivers is open country. 



This area is distinguished by sharply marked 



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