Latin America is home to approximately 400 different indigenous groups. Each of these groups have their own share of rich traditions and histories and the Xavante people of Central Brazil are no different. They are thought to be some of the earliest inhabitants of Brazil or even South America and are first referenced in South American history during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries when they resisted the Portuguese (Neel, 55). They have had many conflicts with the Brazilian government over the years but are known for being a fierce people because of their success in retaining some of their lands, unlike most indigenous groups in Brazil. The Xavante currently are located on seven different reservations and number around ten thousand, …show more content…
The Cerrado supplies the Xavante with plenty of biodiversity which is why the group once relied on foraging for subsistence but recently the group has been pushed more to agriculture. When still nomadic, the villages periodically would divide into smaller groups that would trek across vast areas hunting and gathering for months before returning to their base village (Welch, 15). The game killed by an Xavante while hunting would be shared between the community and the man who made the kill received the best cuts of meat. Collective hunts were also organized for ceremonial purposes and followed established routes in which dry vegetation was burned to expose animals (Welch, 48). This practice is unique to the Xavante and is special because it not only helps hunters locate prey, but it also enriches the soil of the grasslands around …show more content…
The Xavante are exogamous, meaning males must marry outside of their own clan. The Xavante also follow sororal polygyny. However, it is allowed for males to marry women who are not related, although this could become complicated considering the Xavante function matrilocally. For this situation to work, the additional wives usually no longer have a father or are newcomers to the village (Neel, 64). The polygamous life style works well for the group since the women gather food and maintain the household, and a man with prestige is likely to have more wives that other males in the village. Most marriages occur between teen boys after initiation and girls as young as toddlers, although sexual relations do not begin until females reach development (Neel, 63). Since marriage happens very early in an Xavante’s life, premarital relations are not common and extramarital relations are reportedly rare as