Zoʼé

The Zoʼé people are an Indigenous people of Brazil in the State of Pará, Municipality of Óbidos, on the Cuminapanema River, Brazil. They are a Tupi–Guarani people.

Name They are also known as the Poturu, Poturujara, or Buré. The term "Zoʼé" means "us", as opposed to non-Indians or enemies. The term "Poturu" is the type of wood used to make the embe'po labrets which they wear.

Language The Zoʼé language belongs to Subgroup VIII of the Tupi-Guarani language family.

Culture All Zoʼé wear the poturu, a wooden plug piercing the bottom lip. The Zoʼé have a tradition where new fathers have the backs of their calves cut with the 'tooth of a small rodent'. The marriage rituals of the Zoʼé are complex and not fully understood. It is not known how many wives or husbands one is allowed to have. Many women practice polyandry. One or more husbands may be "learning husbands": young men learning how to be good spouses, in exchange for hunting for the rest of the family.

In film The Salt of the Earth documents the work of photographer Sebastião Salgado including his photographs of the Zoʼé.

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