Kreen-Akarore in Brazil

Introduction / History

The Kreen-Akarore, who now generally call themselves the Panará, are an Indigenous people of the Mato Grosso region of the Brazilian Amazon. Their older name, Kreen-Akarore, along with variations like Krenhakarore and the nickname "Índios Gigantes," or Giant Indians, came from outsiders and derive from a Kayapó phrase describing their distinctive traditional haircut. The Panará are believed to be the last descendants of the Southern Kayapó, a much larger ethnic group that once ranged across a wide swath of central Brazil in earlier centuries. For years they lived in relative isolation, known to the outside world mainly through rumor and a reputation for guarding their territory fiercely, until a government road-building project through their land brought them into direct contact with settlers and workers in the early 1970s. That contact proved devastating, as waves of influenza and other unfamiliar illnesses swept through the community and claimed a large share of their population within just a couple of years. Survivors were relocated by the government to the Xingu Indigenous Park, where they lived alongside numerous other tribes for two decades before eventually negotiating a return to a portion of their ancestral homeland, even though much of that original land had by then been altered by logging, mining, and cattle ranching.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Panará sustain themselves through a combination of farming, hunting, and gathering, following patterns common among Indigenous communities of the Amazonian interior. Households tend to be organized around extended family relationships, with daily life structured by cooperative work in gardens and shared responsibilities in food preparation. Hunting expertise and forest knowledge remain valued skills passed down within families, while communal gatherings and ceremonies continue to mark important occasions in the life of the village. Since their return to part of their original territory, the community has worked to rebuild both their population and their traditional practices after the losses of the twentieth century. Their history of survival against tremendous odds has become a significant part of their shared identity, and elders who remember the difficult years following first contact play an important role in passing on the community's story to younger generations.

What Are Their Beliefs?

A portion of the Panará community identifies as Roman Catholic, yet most continue to hold to their traditional Indigenous beliefs, placing their trust in the spiritual practices and forces that have shaped their people for generations. These traditional beliefs represent an active and ongoing system of faith rather than simply a set of inherited customs, guiding how the community understands illness, the natural world, and their place within it. Given the trauma the Panará experienced through contact with outsiders, including the devastating epidemics that followed their first encounters with the modern world, spiritual matters are likely bound up with a cautious view of anything associated with the outside world. Genuine peace and hope for the Panará people are found only in Jesus Christ, whose love reaches beyond the fear and loss that has marked so much of their history.

What Are Their Needs?

The Panará need continued protection of their remaining territory, since much of their original homeland has already been degraded by logging, mining, and ranching interests. They also need support for physical health, as the community's history includes severe losses from diseases introduced through outside contact, leaving lasting vulnerabilities. As a small people working to rebuild their numbers and traditions, the Panará need resources that strengthen their community without requiring them to sacrifice their identity or autonomy. Spiritually, they need believers who can walk alongside them with patience and trust, given their painful history with outsiders, and who can help nurture the faith of Panará believers already among them.

Prayer Points

Pray for the protection of Panará land and the health of their community.
Pray for healing from the trauma caused by disease and loss following first contact with outsiders.
Pray that Panará believers in Jesus Christ will grow strong and disciple others in their families and villages.
Pray for trust to grow between the Panará and those who bring the message of the gospel to them.

Text Source:   Joshua Project