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Suyá

The Suyá, self-denomination Kisêdjê, are Indigenous people in Brazil, at the headwaters of the Xingu River. Historically, they were known for their lip plates, an unusual form of body modification which they practiced. After marriage, Suyá men used to have their lower lip pierced, and have a small wooden disk placed inside. The size of the disk would be gradually increased as time went on, permanently changing the size of the lip. Like many other tribes in the upper Xingu, the Suyá have been devastated by diseases introduced by European explorers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After the establishment of the Xingu Indigenous Park in the 1960s, and after the introduction of organised medical care into the area, the population of the Suyá grew greatly. Their population has increased from 123 in 1970, to 330 in 2010.

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Article summary

The Suyá, self-denomination Kisêdjê, are Indigenous people in Brazil, at the headwaters of the Xingu River. Historically, they were known for their lip plates, an unusual form of body modification which they practiced. After marriage, Suyá men used to have their lower lip pierced, and have a small wooden disk placed inside. The size of the disk would be gradually increased as time went on, permanently changing the size of the lip. Like many other tribes in the upper Xingu, the Suyá have been devastated by diseases introduced by European explorers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After the establishment of the Xingu Indigenous Park in the 1960s, and after the introduction of organised medical care into the area, the population of the Suyá grew greatly. Their population has increased from 123 in 1970, to 330 in 2010.

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