Akuntsu people
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 4 (2016) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Rondônia, Brazil | |
| Languages | |
| Akuntsu | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
The Akuntsu (also known as Akunt'su or Akunsu) are an indigenous people of Rondônia, Brazil. Their land is part of the Rio Omerê Indigenous Territory, a small indigenous territory which is also inhabited by a group of Kanoê. The Akuntsu were victims of a massacre perpetrated by Brazilian cattle ranchers in the 1980s and currently number just four individuals.
The Akuntsu are primarily hunter-gatherers, but supplement their diet with some swidden agriculture. Game is particularly abundant in their reserve because it acts as a refuge for animals whose habitats have been destroyed by deforestation in the surrounding area. The Akuntsu have a typical material culture for the region and practice various shamanic rituals. The Akuntsu language is spoken only by members of the tribe and not fully understood by any outsider. It belongs to the Tuparí language family.
The Akuntsu are considered an "isolated tribe" by the Brazilian government, having only recently come into contact with global state societies. They were not officially contacted by FUNAI until 1995. The word Akuntsu is an exonym applied to the tribe by the Kanoê, who were contacted shortly before the Akuntsu, meaning roughly "other Indians". The nearby Tupari are also recorded as knowing of a group called the 'Akontsu' or 'Wakontsón' whom they had never visited. In both cases, the Akuntsu had a reputation for being "dangerous" and seemingly had little contact with neighbouring indigenous peoples.
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