Akwê

Akwẽ is a name used by the Xerente, a central Jê-speaking people of the Tocantins valley. The Xerente are related in language and culture to the Xavante and Xakriabá. During the colonial period expanding settlements and attempts to control river navigation brought pressure on Indigenous communities. In the nineteenth century officials established military posts in the region as they sought to secure routes through the interior.