Occupied for over a thousand years, the region of the Xingu has a history that begins long before the history of Brazil. The birthplace of a complex social system, it became a refuge for indigenous populations who fled inland at the beginning of Portuguese colonization in the 16th century. Over time, they had to face the arrival of non-indigenous people in their territories, such as the invasions of bandeirantes [explorers] and miners in the 17th century.

There are no images of this first contact, but accounts of this time have been preserved in oral tradition passed from generation to generation. The narrative, reproduced here in its entirety, evokes moments throughout history in which the Kuikuro found themselves facing outsiders from beyond their territory.