Cayapo

/kaɪˈɑːpoʊ/ noun

Definition

An indigenous people of central Brazil, or a member of this ethnic group.

Etymology

From Kayapó in Portuguese, derived from the Kayapó language itself. The word entered English through Brazilian Portuguese colonization and anthropological literature documenting Amazonian peoples.

Kelly Says

The Kayapó became famous in the 1980s-90s for their powerful environmental activism protecting the Amazon rainforest—they literally used videos and international media before most indigenous groups had that technology!

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