RouteAlter do Chão

Festival das Tribos Indígenas: Alter do Chão's Living Heritage

The Festival das Tribos Indígenas — held in September in Alter do Chão — is one of Brazil's most important indigenous cultural festivals; indigenous groups from across the Tapajós region celebrate their traditions with the beach and the river as backdrop

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1
Indigenous Dance Performances
The festival's main attraction is the performance of indigenous dance groups – the Munduruku, Arapiuns, Tupinambá and Borari people performing traditional dances in elaborate feather and body painted regalia in the village square
2
Pirogue Canoe Race
The Piro Race across the Tapajós during the festival – teams of 6 paddlers in traditional canoes racing between Ilha do Amor and the village beach – is the sporting highlight of the event; the ribeirinho communities train months in advance
3
Craft and food fair
The festival market in Alter do Chão sells indigenous and ribeirinho crafts — feathers, carved wood, seed jewelry — along with Tapajó's food specialties; the interaction between artisans and visitors is an important cultural exchange
4
Saire celebration
Sairé – the original Jesuit-era festival that preceded the Festival das Tribos – is a syncretic celebration that combines Catholic and indigenous elements; the Sairé female figure, the rituals and the procession are a living legacy of colonial Amazonia
5
Boto Dolphin Mythology
Boto dolphin mythology – central to Tapajó's indigenous and ribeirinho culture – is celebrated in the festival's narratives; boto's power to transform into a beautiful seductress is the Amazon's most widespread myth and a cultural touchstone
6
Environmental impact
The Festival das Tribos Indígenas has become a platform for indigenous environmental advocacy – the speeches, ceremonies and artistic performances at the festival explicitly address the Tapajós River from dam projects and deforestation