Balaio Indigenous Territory
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| Balaio Indigenous Territory | |
|---|---|
| Terra Indígena Balaio | |
  | |
| Nearest city | São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas |
| Coordinates | 0°23′26″N 66°38′54″W / 0.3905°N 66.6483°W |
| Area | 257,000 ha (990 sq mi) |
| Designation | Indigenous territory |
| Created | 22 December 2009 |
The Balaio Indigenous Territory (Portuguese: Terra Indígena Balaio) is an indigenous territory in the northwest of the state of Amazonas, Brazil. The territory is home to small numbers of people from several different ethnic groups of the Arawak and Tucano linguistic families.. It is in the Amazon biome. The territory overlaps with a national park and a biological reserve, both technically fully protected areas. Mining concessions before the territory was recognized have been disallowed.
The Balaio Indigenous Territory is in the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas. It has an area of 257,000 hectares (640,000 acres). The territory lies on either side of highway BR-307. It adjoins the Cué-cué/Marabitanas Indigenous Territory to the north and west. To the east it adjoins the Yanomami Indigenous Territory. An area of 242,018 hectares (598,040 acres), or 93.73% of the reserve, overlaps with the Pico da Neblina National Park. It contains the Morro dos Seis Lagos Biological Reserve.[1]
The territory lies in the Rio Negro basin. Vegetation is in the Amazon biome, and includes Campinarana in contact with rainforest.[1]
People
Sampaio reported a population of 220 in 1991. According to GT/Funai the population was 350 in 2000. Siasi/Sesai reported that the population was 328 in 2013. These included Baniwa, Baré, Koripako and Tariana people of the Arawak linguistic family, and Desano, Cubeo, Pira-tapuya, Tucano and Tuyuca people of the Tucano linguistic family. The registered indigenous organizations are Federation of Indigenous Organizations of the Rio Negro (FOIRN) and the Wariró House of Indigenous Products of Rio Negro.[1]
The Balaio community is at about km100 on BR-307, founded in the early 1980s. As of 2015 there were more than 23 families, mostly Tucano and Dessano, but including some Coripaco (Baniwa), Tariana and Cubeo. Most of the people were related.[2] For several years the Association of Indigenous Women of Balaio (AMIBAL) and the Balaio Indigenous Association (AINBAL) have run painting workshops for adults and children as a way of preserving traditional knowledge and culture.[2] FUNAI represents the government in the territory, and has a post at km55 of BR-317 at the mouth of the Iamiri River. There are two evangelical missions in the territory.[1]