Unreached people group Frontier
Metyktire
UnreachedThe Metyktire are one of the subgroups of the Mebêngôkre people, more widely known as Kayapó. The indigenous people themselves use the name Mebêngôkre in their own language, while the name Kayapó was given to them by other groups. Their language belongs to the Macro-Jê linguistic family and remains the main means of daily communication in the villages, passed on to new generations.
The Metyktire trace their origin to a split that occurred decades ago, when part of the group settled in savanna and forest regions near the border between the states of Mato Grosso and Pará. Over time, they established themselves in the area now recognized as the traditional territory of the people, along the Jarina River, within the Capoto Jarina Indigenous Land. They are historically remembered for their firmness in defending their territory and for leaders who became landmarks in the indigenous struggle.
Today the Metyktire form a small group, with about a hundred people according to available data, though they are part of the much larger Mebêngôkre people as a whole. They maintain a strong bond with the forest and the rivers, preserving their language, customs, and their own forms of organization, while facing the pressures of the world surrounding their lands.
| Country | Share of the people | Population |
|---|---|---|
Brazil Unreached
|
100%
|
100 |
The life of the Metyktire is deeply tied to the land, the forest, and the rivers. Their livelihood comes from hunting, fishing, gathering, and garden farming, in which they grow traditional foods. Social organization centers on the villages and the men’s houses, spaces of collective decision making, with a strong presence of older leaders, whose counsel guides the community. Body painting, feather ornaments, and rites of passage mark the people’s identity and the transmission of culture between generations.
In recent decades, the Metyktire have come into closer contact with the surrounding society, and face serious challenges, such as pressure on their territory, the advance of illegal activities, and impacts on health and the environment. As a small group, maintaining their language, traditions, and community cohesion demands constant care in the face of the rapid changes arriving from outside.
The worldview of the Metyktire is characteristic of ethnic religions, in which the visible and invisible worlds are intertwined. The forest, the rivers, the animals, and the ancestors hold a central place in how they understand life, and oral tradition preserves the accounts of origin, the songs, and the meanings of the rites. The ceremonies, the dances, and the names received throughout life express this worldview and sustain belonging to the group.
Among the Metyktire there is, according to available data, no significant presence of Christians, and the traditional faith remains the people’s spiritual reference. The knowledge of the elders and the relationship with the sacredness of nature guide decisions, health care, and community life.
The Metyktire live without full access to the gospel in their own language and within their own cultural reality. As a small people under strong pressure on their territory, they carry spiritual needs as well as practical ones, related to health, the protection of their lands, and the preservation of their language and identity. Intercession for them calls for sensitivity and respect, so that they may come to know the love of God in a way that honors their dignity and their culture, without losing what constitutes them as a people.
Pray for Metyktire
Intercede for this people alongside Christians around the world.
Open the Prayer Calendar