Guarapuava

The fields of Guarapuava lie on the wooded plateau of southern Brazil, amid grasslands and forests of araucaria. Known to the Kaingang as Koran-bang-rê, this was part of their extensive territory in the Paraná uplands. Rivers cut through the plateau toward the Iguaçu and Paraná basins, while open fields provide a contrast to the surrounding stands of forest.

In 1810 a Portuguese expedition established the fort and mission settlement of Atalaia in the region. Kaingang leaders engaged with the newcomers through diplomacy as well as conflict, while settlers sought land for cattle and agriculture. The parish of Nossa Senhora de Belém de Guarapuava was founded in 1819, and during the following decades large estates spread over lands formerly held by Kaingang communities.