Karaja

The Karajá, who call themselves Iny, have long lived along the Araguaia River and around Bananal Island. Their villages and seasonal fishing grounds follow the rhythm of the river’s rising and falling waters. In 1658 the Jesuit Tomé Ribeiro encountered Karajá on the lower Araguaia. The river remains central to Karajá narratives, ceremonies and the arrangement of their communities.