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Today, the Kalapalo live in two settlements, one
called (meaning “finished” or “ready”),
located southwest of the Kuluene River, the other called
Tanguru, on the banks of the Kuluene near the border
of the Xingu Reservation. Besides these villages, some
Kalapalo live at the Tanguro and Kuluene Indigenous
Security Posts (PIV). Each of these Posts is located
on the river whose name it bears, on points along the
border of the reservation.
The former villages of the Kalapalo were located
to the south, on both sides of the Kuluene River. The
Kalapalo moved reluctantly to their current location
after the boundaries of the Xingu Reservation were formally
established in 1961, when outlying groups were encouraged
to move closer to the Leonardo Indigenous Post in order
to control contact with outsiders and to provide medical
aid in the event of epidemics. Nevertheless, they have
continued to return to their traditional territory,
harvesting pequi fruits from the extensive groves still
found around the old settlements, searching for land
snails from which they manufacture shell ornaments (a
specialty of their group), and to fish and plant fields
of manioc, sweet potatoes, and cotton at several places
along the Kuluene River.
However, many of the pequi groves were left
outside the reservation borders and were destroyed by
cattle ranchers. At this time, the Kalapalo, along with
FUNAI, are demanding the return of part of this territory,
in the land occupied by the current Sayonara ranch.
Kalapalo representatives have also actively participated
in the Borders Project, coordinated by ATIX (the Xingu
Indigenous Lands Association), by patrolling the reservation
boundaries and organizing frequent expeditions to inspect
the boundary lines and keep them clear of overgrowth.
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