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Kabila

Parintintin

They call themselves Kagwahiva’nga

Indigenous Kagwahiva people of the Madeira River basin in Brazil

The Parintintin, who call themselves Kagwahiva’nga, are an Indigenous group living in the Madeira River basin of Brazil. Numbering around 480 today, they live in three villages across two Indigenous territories and speak a Tupi-Guarani language. They are known for their patrilineal, moiety-based society and their history of resilience after dramatic population loss.

Who are the Parintintin?

The Parintintin, or Kagwahiva’nga, are an Indigenous people of the Brazilian Amazon. They live in the Madeira River basin, mainly in three villages on two protected Indigenous territories. Their society is organized around two moieties, or social divisions, named after birds, and descent is traced through the father's line. The Parintintin share close ties with other Kagwahiva-speaking groups and maintain a distinct identity through language, kinship, and shared history.

Where do the Parintintin live?

The Parintintin homeland lies in the dense forests along the Madeira River in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. Their villages are located within the Ipixuna and Nove de Janeiro Indigenous Territories, which together cover over 440,000 hectares of Amazon rainforest. This region is rich in rivers, diverse plant life, and abundant wildlife, providing the resources for their traditional ways of life.

What language do the Parintintin speak?

The Parintintin speak a dialect of the Tenharim language, which belongs to the Tupi-Guarani family. Their language is written in the Latin script. Many also speak Portuguese. The Parintintin language is closely related to those of neighboring Indigenous groups, reflecting shared cultural and historical roots.

How do the Parintintin live?

The Parintintin make their living through a mix of farming, fishing, and gathering. They cultivate crops in small gardens, fish in the rivers, and gather wild foods from the forest. Their tools and houses are made from local materials. These activities are shaped by the rhythms of the forest and river, and traditional knowledge is passed down through generations.

How is Parintintin society organised?

Parintintin society is structured around two exogamous moieties, meaning people must marry outside their own group. These moieties are named after birds and organize social life, including marriage and ceremonies. Descent is patrilineal, traced through the father. Family and kinship ties are central, and decisions are made within the community, often involving elders and leaders.

What do the Parintintin believe?

The sources do not describe specific Parintintin religious beliefs or rituals. However, their social organization and art reflect a deep connection to the natural world, especially birds, as seen in the naming of their moieties. Traditional knowledge, stories, and practices are important in daily life and cultural identity.

The history of the Parintintin

Before sustained contact, the Parintintin population was about 4,000. Contact with Brazilians began in 1946. The second rubber boom and the construction of the Trans-Amazon highway in 1970 brought outsiders, leading to disease and dramatic population decline, reaching as low as 120. Colonization of the Amazon also brought new challenges, but the Parintintin have maintained their communities and identity.

Parintintin life today

Today, the Parintintin number around 480 and live in three villages on two Indigenous territories. They face ongoing challenges, including possible impacts from large hydroelectric projects downstream. Despite past losses and pressures, they continue to maintain their language, social structure, and traditional ways of life in the Amazon.

Questions people ask about the Parintintin

Where do the Parintintin live?

The Parintintin live in Brazil, in the Madeira River basin, Amazonas, Brazil.

How many Parintintin people are there?

Our sources give the Parintintin population as about 480 (Wikidata, 2010s). Counts of peoples vary with who is counted and when.

What language do the Parintintin speak?

The Parintintin speak Parintintin (a dialect of Tenharim), Portuguese, which belongs to the Tupi–Guarani family of languages.

How do the Parintintin make a living?

The Parintintin are known for settled farming, fishing and the sea and hunting and gathering. Like most peoples, they combine several ways of making a living, and these have changed over time.

Sources and further reading

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 Parintintin themselves. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-02.

Neighbours in Brazil

All peoples of Brazil
GuaraniAbá 🇵🇾 Paraguay and 3 moreIndigenous people of Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia, known for their language and myths About 280,000, Tupi–Guarani Zo'éZo'és 🇧🇷 BrazilSemi-nomadic Tupi–Guarani people of Pará, Brazil About 315, Tupi–Guarani Guajajara 🇧🇷 BrazilForest guardians of Maranhão in northeastern Brazil About 28,000, Tupi–Guarani WayampiWajãpi 🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreIndigenous people of the border forests of Brazil and French Guiana About 2,000, Tupi–Guarani

Other Tupi–Guarani speakers

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AwáAwa Guajá 🇧🇷 BrazilNomadic hunter-gatherers of the eastern Amazon rainforest in Brazil About 520, Tupi–Guarani KamayuráKamaiurá 🇧🇷 BrazilIndigenous people of the Upper Xingu, central Brazil About 604, Tupi–Guarani ApiacáApiaká 🇧🇷 BrazilIndigenous people of northern Mato Grosso and Pará, Brazil About 850, Tupi–Guarani KaiabiKawaiwete 🇧🇷 BrazilFarmers and craftspeople of the Xingu Indigenous Park in Brazil About 2,000, Tupi–Guarani

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