| Aquidauana - Others - Indian Tribes |
Terena Tribe |
In Aquidauana, villages of Guatós, Kaiowá, Bororo, Umotina, Pareci and Kinikinao
indians can still be found. It’s one of the regions with the biggest indian population of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Actually, there are
around 50 thousand indians and descendants living there.
The Terena indians always took agreements to keep their traditions alive. This way,
they survived to the settlers and the progress. They are peaceful indians turned more to hunting and fishing than to war and conflicts. To have
their lands protected, the Terena worked for other tribes in exchange of protection. During “Guerra do Paraguai”, for example, they were the last
ones to make war, what may have saved them from extermination.
Since them, the loss of their lands was just a consequence of the intervention of
farmers of the region, who started to control more and more lands, evicting the families that lived there. Today, the Terena leave their small
spaces to work in the city, the only way they can support their families. Despite the constant contact with the portuguese language, the native
dialect is still being largely used, as an attempt of preserve the culture by means of speaking language. However, the cultural expression of
the Terena can also be watched in the craftsmanship products, typical dances and vegetables cultivation. |
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