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The Kayapó territory is situated on the
Central Brazilian plateau, roughly between 300 and 400
metres above sea level. The area is criss-crossed by river
valleys. Small hills with a maximum altitude of 400 metres,
frequently isolated and scattered across the entire territory,
spread across the plateau. The large rivers are fed by
innumerable pools and creeks, so small that some are yet
to be discovered by Brazilians and remain officially unnamed.
In Central Brazil, the year divides into two
seasons: the dry season (‘winter’), which
extends from May to October, and the rainy season (‘summer’),
which runs from November to April. The dry season is
characterized by hot and windy days, cool nights and
the almost total absence of mosquitoes. This is certainly
the most pleasant time of year and the Kayapó
often refer to it as ‘good weather.’ In contrast,
the rainy season is characterized by torrential rains,
the inundation of most of the rivers and creeks and
by the annoying presence of a large number of mosquitoes
and other types of insects. When evoking this time of
year, the Indians refer to it simply as ‘rainy
weather.’ The annual rainfall index is sizeable,
varying between 1,900 mm in the north-east of the territory,
and about 2,500 mm in the south-east – to give
an idea, Belgium, often taken to be a rainy country,
has an annual rainfall index of approximately 1,000
mm.
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