Munduruku

The Munduruku inhabit the forest and river country between the Madeira and Tapajós. Their communities occupied extensive territory through which tributaries and paths connect the great Amazonian rivers. Known for their warriors, they maintained relationships of conflict and exchange with neighbouring peoples in a region where many Indigenous groups lived before colonial expansion, speaking different languages and occupying riverbanks and interior forests.

The first written colonial reference to the Munduruku dates from 1768, when they were reported on the Maués River. Portuguese authorities later sent expeditions against them after attacks on colonial settlements. Towards the end of the eighteenth century agreements between Munduruku leaders and colonial authorities brought a period of more peaceful relations in the lower Madeira and Tapajós region.