The Kayapo Indians live in the Amazon River Basin of Brazil in an area that is about the size of Austria, with villages that are along the Xingu River. Their territory is made up of mostly tropical rain forests. The name Kayapo was given to the tribe by neighboring Indian tribes. The word kayapo means "resembling apes" and was probably given because sometimes the men dance in monkey masks.
     Circles are one of the tribe's main symbols because the course of the sun and moon are circular. Body paint, which is worn at all times, is very symbolic in their culture. It is a display of status and social behavior. Red and black are the two main colors worn. Men and boys apply their own paint, using their hands. Children are painted by their mothers who use fancy designs on them. Women get together every 10 days to reapply their own body paint.
     The Kayapo still practice many of their ceremonies and rituals, but are moving toward more modern ways. One of the problems the Kayapo are experiencing started when they hired white men to mine their gold for them. The Kayapo made a deal with the whites so they would receive 60% of the profit. Even though the Kayapo received 40%,  it wasn't enough to cover their needs. The Indians moved the miners and their families closer to the mining areas, which had farm fields to provide them with food. To the Indians fish is still a large source of their protein, but they now have to go upriver to fish, because of nearby pollution. Hooks and lines are now replacing bows and arrows.
   The Funai, an Indian protection agency, was established in 1968. The Funai has military officers to help keep the whites and the Indians at peace. Since the Indians have to go upriver to fish, they have installed plastic tubes to pump clear water to their village. Also because of soil runoff, chemical pollution, and sewage, the Funai also has to pump clear water to a stream, which is more than one mile away, so they can have clear water to fish.  Since the white men have come, the Kayapo have become more modernized. They depend now on some canned goods for food and have started wearing western clothing.