Figure 1.--Anthropologist José Loureiro Fernandes on his second expedition finally found the Xetá. Here we see a Xetá boyand one of their crude shelters.

The Xetá (Aré, Seta, Sheta, or Cheta) live along the Paraná triputary the Kaingang River. This places them near, but to the south of the Amazon Basin, although culturally thy may be similar to Amazonin people. They speak a Tupi-Guarani language. There were for several centuries rumors of a very primative people in the sate of Paraná, The Xetá were the last Native American group in the state of Paraná, and perhaps the most primative to be found by Brazilians. Czech scientist Albert Fritsch conducting field research in the area envountered some indians with three captives who identified themselves as Xeta (1906). Fritsch concluded that they were Guarani people. A Brailian settlers in the 1940s penetrated into the area inhabited by the Xetá. A work crew in 1950s chanced upon Native American children playing in a clearing, thy all ran away, except for one little boy who was so terrified he climbed up a tree (1950). That was Koi and it is largely because of Koi that the Xetá became known to Brazilian researchers. They largely disappeared in the 1950s. There are only a few known survivors.

Location

The Xetá (Aré, Seta, Sheta, or Cheta) live along the Paraná triputary the Kaingang River in the Serra dos Dourados. This places them near, but to the south of the Amazon Basin, although culturally thy may be similar to Amazonian people.

Language

They speak a Tupi-Guarani language. There were for several centuries rumors of a very primative people in the sate of Paraná.

Ethnivcity

At the time the Xetá were discovered, the prncipal tool in studying tribal relations was linguistic work. With the Xetá, researchers did not even have pottery to study with the Xetá. I do not know if any DNA studies have been done on the few surviving members.

Isolation

The history of the Xetá is unknown. Apparently stronger tribes drove the Xetá into the marginal lands of the Serra dos Dourados. And because the land was marginal, it was not of great interest to Brazilians. Incidents with Portuguese slave raiders apparentlh taught them to lead a secertive life. ["Living ...".] The interesting question about the Xeta is when they arrived in the Serra dos Dourados and when they adopted such a primitive life style. It should not be thought that the Xetá have always been so primitive. Civilization does not always move in one drection as we saw in Europe after the fall of Rome. A growing body of scholarly work suggests that the pouklation and and culture sophistication of Native Americans in the Amzonian Basin wasfar greater before the Conquest than previously thought. Not only did Europeand diseases wipe out much of the population, but slave raiders forced th survivors to abandon settled agriculture and adopt and nomadic life style so they could disaapear deep into the tropical rain forest.

Discovery

The Xetá were the last Native American group in the state of Paraná, and perhaps the most primative to be found by Brazilians. Czech scientist Albert Fritsch conducting field research in the area envountered some indians with three captives who identified themselves as Xeta (1906). Fritsch concluded that they were Guarani people. A Brailian settlers in the 1940s penetrated into the area inhabited by the Xetá. A work crew in 1950s chanced upon Native American children playing in a clearing, thy all ran away into the forrst, except for one little boy who was so starteled that he climbed up a tree (1950). That was Koi and it is largely because of Koi that the Xetá became known to Brazilian researchers. As he was up a tree they captured him and took him to Curitiba, where he was raised by the director of the local office of the Brazilian Indian Protection Service (IPS). Here he was educated and learned to speak Portuguese. A group clearing land encounted a Xetá girl (1952). This time warriors armed with bows and arrows managed to retrieve her. ["Living ...".]

Loureiro Expeditons

A cold snap affected the game and forrest plants in the Xetá area (1955). They began steeling vegetables in a garden at a rabch--the Fazenda Santa Rosa. The sent contacted the IPS for help. They sent Dr. Jose Loureiro, an Anthropology Professor at the University of Parana who took Koi with him and firearms, not knowing what to expect. Dr. Loureiro had collected what ever fragments of information he could about the Xetá. Iterestingly, Koi flatly refused to even answer almost all of his questions about the Xetí. Koi was able to find Xetá camps, but the people managed to hide in the surrounding forrest. Dr. Loureiro who until had worked with rumors and fleeting reports was astonished with what he saw. He was especially taken with a stone axxth camp, Professor Loureiro" found a stone ax. "It was fantastic. A Stone Age implement in actual use by living hands." It was not until an expedition the following year that Dr. Loureiro assisted by Koi actually found Xeta. The first contact was tentative. But over time he won their confidence. He communicated through Koi and made tape recordings to study their language. ["Living ...".] The Xetá have largely disappeared in the 1960s. There are only a few known survivors.

Culture

The Xetá are destinguished by a 2-inch tusk that Xetá men wear in the jungle to frighten off both enemies and evil spirits. They live in small bands (15 to 25 people). They lve in rough camps moving every few days. They do not practice agriculture and were familiar with metal. They do not know pottery. They sleep on the ground rather than hammocks which are common throughout the Amazon. They use bows and arrows and stone axes. Their fashion knives out of flaked stone. Their diet consists of game, fruit, insects, snakes, and fibrous roots. They know how to make fermented drinks and are known to go on binges. The Xetá are short which may reflect diet. The me wear a fiber loincloth. The children and women go naked. ["Living ...".]

Sources

"Living Stone Age," Time (January 5, 1959).

Created: 3:13 AM 2/11/2009
Last updated: 3:13 AM 2/11/2009