Indigenous people brazil
The origins of the Indigenous People Brazil
When the first Portuguese explorers landed on Brazil's coast
in 1500, Brasil was inhabited by a population Semi-nomadic Indian
tribes, estimated to be in the region of 1 - 2 million people.
These indigenous tribes'relied upon hunting, gathering, fishing and
agriculture in their day-
to-day-living.
Although very little is known about the history of Brazil
prior to 1500, since it is stated that the indigenous semi-
nomadic tribes of the east, never developed written records
or permanent monumental architecture, archaeological remains
consisting mainly of pottery, suggest a complex pattern of
regional cultural
developments, internal migrations and large
state type federations prior to 1500.
Fossils found in Minas Gerais showing evidence that Brazil had been
inhabited for at least 8,000 years by an indigenous brazil people
of "Indian" (Indios) origin, are still disputed among
archaeologists.
This indigenous population, who occupied mainly the coastal
regions along the banks of Brazil's major rivers, were viewed
by the Portuguese as "noble savages" who needed to be
civilized.
The impact of slavery on the
Indigenous people brazil Brazil
The Portuguese initially used Brazil's indigenous people as
plantation slaves and miscegenation of the population began.
As a consequence, many Brazilian Indian people soon succumbed to
diseases, enforced labour, displacemen and the resulting
warfare conflicts surrounding their capture and enslavement.
European diseases were spread along trade routes and quickly
took their toll on the Brazil people irrespective of whether
or not they came into direct contact with Europeans. Tens of
thousands of the estimated 2,000 nations and tribes that
existed in 1500 died as a consequence of European settlement,
which brought diseases such as measles, smallpox, tuberculosis,
influenza and against which the Brazil indigenous people had no
immunity. The Portuguese turned their attention to importing
African people for their slave labour.
In 1570, King Sebastian I ordered the Brazil natives should not
be used for slavery and should be released. However, it was not
until 1755 that slavery of the Brazil's indigenous natives was
abolished.
The surviving Brazilian natives were absorbed into the Brazilian
population, although a few native tribes can still be found in
the more remote regions of the Amazon rainforest. The offsprings
of the Portuguese colonists, created a new generation of mix-
raced people who spoke in their native Indian languages.
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