Members of 24 Brazilian tribes and native people from 23 other countries around the world are competing in the first World Indigenous Games in Palmas, northern Brazil. The nine-day event features traditional disciplines such as canoeing, archery, tug of war and a relay race with a tree trunk.
Brazil is home to nearly 900,000 indigenous peoples, speaking a total 274 languages. Worldwide, it is estimated that there are 370 million indigenous peoples, making up more than 5% of the world's population. In this gallery, we look at some of the sports and the people at the games.
Men from several indigenous Brazilian tribes compete in the 100 metres raceUeslei Marcelino/ReutersXerente men, from central Brazil's Tocantins state, compete in a relay race carrying a tree trunkBuda Mendes/Getty ImagesA Pataxo man, from north-eastern Brazil's Bahia state, watches the tree trunk relayUeslei Marcelino/ReutersA Kuikuro man, from Brazil's Matto Grosso state, watches a relay race where the contestants carry tree trunksUeslei Marcelino/ReutersA Bororo man fires an arrow during the archery competitionUeslei Marcelino/ReutersA man from Mongolia fires an arrow during the archery competitionUeslei Marcelino/ReutersAn indigenous man from Mexico fires an arrow during the archery competitionUeslei Marcelino/ReutersAn arrow flies towards a fish-shaped target during the archery competitionUeslei Marcelino/ReutersA North American indigenous man participates in the archery competitionBuda Mendes/Getty ImagesA member of the Amazon rainforest's Kayapo people is pictured during the archery competitionUeslei Marcelino/ReutersA member of the Paresi tribe, from western Brazil's Matto Grosso state, tries to head the ball during the Jikunahati competition, a form of football played with one's headBuda Mendes/Getty ImagesMaori men from New Zealand participate in the tug-of-war competitionBuda Mendes/Getty ImagesA man from the Kanela tribe, who occupy an area of north-eastern Brazil's Maranhão state, competes in a spear-throwing competitionBuda Mendes/Getty ImagesA member of the Matis tribe, from far western Brazil, demonstrates the use of a blowpipeBuda Mendes/Getty ImagesA indigenous Brazilian man practises canoeing during the first World Indigenous GamesBuda Mendes/Getty ImagesA boy from Brazil's Gaviao tribe plays in the sand during the first World Games for Indigenous Peoples in PalmasUeslei Marcelino/ReutersMen from several native Brazilian tribes look at a droneUeslei Marcelino/ReutersMen from several Brazilian indigenous tribes watch the action in the arenaBuda Mendes/Getty ImagesXerente men watch the competitionBuda Mendes/Getty ImagesA member of the Bororo tribe, from western Brazil and Bolivia, watches the competitionBuda Mendes/Getty Images
A noisy demonstration broke out during the 100m race at the World Indigenous Games. The crowd, made up mostly of native Brazilians in traditional dress, were outraged over a land demarcation proposal that they say would be catastrophic for Brazil's 300 or so surviving tribes.
The proposed constitutional amendment would transfer the right to demarcate indigenous lands from the executive branch to Brazil's Congress, which is heavily influenced by the powerful big agriculture lobby that has fought against indigenous reserves in the past.
Delegates protest against the proposed amendment to the constitutionUeslei Marcelino/ReutersIndigenous people from several areas of Brazil take part in a protest against Constitutional Amendment which propses the transfer of power to demarcate indigenous lands to the Brazilian National Congress. The sign says: "Our life is not a game"Ueslei Marcelino/ReutersA member of the Pataxo tribe, from eastern Brazil's Bahia state, takes part in a protest against the proposed amendment to the Brazilian constitution that would change the rules of demarcation of indigenous landsBuda Mendes/Getty Images
A committee in Brazil's Chamber of Deputies has approved the proposal, but it must get through the full lower house and Senate, then be signed by President Dilma Rousseff in order to become law.
