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At Brazil’s Indigenous Olympics, players celebrate culture, sport

Hundreds of Indigenous athletes compete in Sao Paulo state in their version of the Olympic Games.

Brazil Indigenous Games
Athletes compete in tug-of-war during the Indigenous Games in the Tapirema community of Peruibe, Brazil. [Andre Penner/AP]
By AP
Published On 26 Apr 2023

As a bonfire lit by children finished burning, the winners at the first Indigenous Games of Peruibe received the wooden medals around their necks with little fanfare.

The spectators, though, screamed and howled around the village’s arena as defeated competitors applauded between smokes of their pipes.

The two-day competition last weekend in southern Sao Paulo state was not exactly the Olympics, but some of the friendly spirit of the past echoed among about 120 athletes of the Guarani, Tupi-Guarani and Fulnió communities – plus 21 of their non-Indigenous friends allowed to compete on Piacaguera Indigenous land.

The programme was a mix of white imports and local traditions; archery, tug of war, football, a Brazilian Indigenous wrestling named Uca-Uca, a log-carrying relay race on the beach and dart blowing. The spear- and rock-throwing competitions were suspended because of rain. There were not enough people to play in the Indigenous badminton category, so it was cancelled.

The Indigenous peoples spread among 17 villages around Peruibe, a beachfront city 140km (85 miles) south of Sao Paulo, frequently hold sporting events during other celebrations of their culture. But one year ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, there is enough interest among youngsters for a solo sports competition, which elders expect to reinforce their heritage in the region.

“We didn’t expect so many people here, among competitors and visitors,” chief Awa Tenondegua dos Santos said.

Wearing Paris Saint-Germain shorts and black paint on his body, he competed – and lost – in every sport he played during the games.

“This is more fun than anything else,” he said. “We are not the Olympic Games, but we are a success too.”

Organisers said at least 500 people showed up for the event, held in an area smaller than five football fields but invitingly close to a beach and a lake where locals swim all year round. Dozens chose to camp around the village from Friday to Sunday and live out in the open like the Indigenous.

April is Brazil’s Indigenous Awareness Month, an occasion that is once again widely celebrated under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. His predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, was a critic of Indigenous celebrations and repeatedly said the original peoples would be better off joining whites as one nation and fostering economic activities that often hurt the environment, such as mining and logging.

The Indigenous Games of Peruibe are a response to that, according to elder Dario Tunpan.

Brazil Indigenous Games
One of the non-traditional sports at the Indigenous Games is football. [Andre Penner/AP]
Brazil Indigenous Games
Chief Awa Tenondegua dos Santos from the Tupi-Guarani people was a frequent, if unsuccessful, participant at the games. [Andre Penner/AP]
Brazil Indigenous Games
Indigenous wrestling called Uca-Uca was a main event at the competition in southern Sao Paulo state. [Andre Penner/AP]
Brazil Indigenous Games
“Now archery is once again about fun," elder Dario Tunpan says at the games. "We live our lives around the arrows, the spears. Having this as competition is very different from a while ago when we thought we also needed those weapons to defend ourselves.” [Andre Penner/AP]
Brazil Indigenous Games
The city of Peruibe, 140km (85 miles) south of Sao Paulo, hosts the Indigenous Games at a site boasting a beach and a lake. [Andre Penner/AP]
Brazil Indigenous Games
The log-carrying relay race is popular among Indigenous people all over Brazil. Some of the races take place with logs that weigh about 100kg (220 pounds) and with as many as 10 competitors on each team. [Andre Penner/AP]
Brazil Indigenous Games
Archery is a clear link between the Indigenous Games in Peruibe and the Olympics, which has had the sport on its programme since the 1900 Paris Games. [Andre Penner/AP]
Brazil Indigenous Games
Football and tug-of-war, which was once an Olympic sport, are the two imports from whites that the Indigenous love to play. [Andre Penner/AP]
Brazil Indigenous Games
Some beginners compete in the grueling Uca-Uca wrestling competition. The rules for the brawl on the sand are simple: Fighters must make their rivals fall on their backs without using their legs, much like sumo. [Andre Penner/AP]
Brazil Indigenous Games
Many of Brazil's Indigenous communities believe anyone above the age of 10 should be considered an adult, which sometimes puts veteran competitors head-to-head with young beginners. [Andre Penner/AP]
Brazil Indigenous Games
“That’s the traditional Uca-Uca, but we know some fighters have some jiujitsu techniques up their sleeves,” says Guaciane da Silva Gomes, a leader at Tapirema village. “That is fine. We are here to show our culture, but we also embrace what is good in others. We are not here to impose. We just want to be seen and respected as we are.” [Andre Penner/AP]