Korubo

Who are the Korubo?

The Korubo, also called Dslala, are an Indigenous people of Brazil who mostly live in voluntary isolation in the lower Vale do Javari region of the Amazon. They are known for their use of large wooden clubs and communal living in maloca houses. The group is held together by their shared language, customs, and close kinship ties. Only a small band has regular contact with outsiders, while the main group avoids outside influence and maintains traditional ways. Their identity is rooted in their territory, language, and daily practices of hunting, farming, and communal life.

Where do the Korubo live?

The Korubo live in the lower Vale do Javari, a remote part of the western Amazon Basin in Brazil's Amazonas state. This region is covered by dense rainforest, with rivers and streams shaping the landscape. The Vale do Javari Indigenous Territory is protected by the Brazilian government, with limited access to outsiders to safeguard the Indigenous peoples and the environment. The land supports diverse wildlife and provides the Korubo with resources for hunting, gathering, and small-scale farming.

What language do the Korubo speak?

The Korubo speak a language belonging to the Panoan family, which is also spoken by several neighboring groups in the region. Their language is a key part of their identity and daily life. Because most Korubo live in isolation, their language remains largely undocumented and is not widely spoken outside their community.

How do the Korubo live?

Korubo families hunt animals such as spider monkeys, peccaries, birds, and wild pigs, using clubs as their main weapon. They also grow bananas, manioc, and maize in small clearings in the forest. Their workday is typically 4–5 hours. The Korubo live in large communal huts called malocas, which house several families together. Both men and women paint their bodies with red dye from the roucou plant and wear little clothing. Their diet and shelter are closely tied to the resources of the rainforest.

How is Korubo society organised?

Korubo society is organized around extended families living together in maloca houses. Decisions are made within these close-knit groups. Marriage and kinship ties are central, and daily life is communal. The group is divided into bands, and disputes can lead to splits, as seen in the separation of a smaller band from the main tribe. Leadership is informal and based on respect and experience.

What do the Korubo believe?

The sources do not provide detailed information on Korubo religious beliefs or rituals. However, body painting with roucou dye and communal living are important cultural practices. Both men and women participate in painting and share similar styles of dress. Art, music, and other forms of expression are not described in the available sources.

The history of the Korubo

The Korubo have a history of conflict with outsiders, beginning with violent clashes with rubber tappers in the 1920s and loggers in the 1960s. Attempts by Brazil's FUNAI agency to establish peaceful contact in the 1970s and 1990s met with difficulty and loss of life on both sides. In 1996, a small band was contacted and now interacts with neighboring settlements and FUNAI, while the main tribe remains isolated. The Korubo have faced violence from settlers and other Indigenous groups, as well as disease and threats from illegal activities in their territory.

Korubo life today

Today, the Korubo remain mostly isolated, with only a small band in contact with outsiders. Their population is estimated at a few hundred, though only 127 are recorded in some sources. The Brazilian government restricts access to their territory to protect them from disease and exploitation. FUNAI provides some medical support to the contacted group. The Korubo face ongoing threats from illegal logging, mining, and disease, but continue to maintain their traditional way of life in the forest.

Questions people ask about the Korubo

Sources and further reading

• Korubo on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

This page was written with AI assistance from the sources above and checked automatically before publishing. It may contain mistakes, and it is no substitute for hearing from the Korubo themselves. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-02.