Terena people


The Terena people are an indigenous people of Brazil. Their traditional language is Terena. They live in the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, and São Paulo.

Buriti farm

On 15 May 2013, a group of hundreds of Terena re-occupied a parcel of land, now owned by a local politician and rancher, that they believe is part of their Indigenous ancestral territory. The Buriti farm is in the Sidrolândia municipality. After two weeks of occupation, they were forcibly evicted on 30 May by local police. One of their members, 35-year-old Osiel Gabriel, was shot and killed by police during the eviction, and three others were injured. The Terena managed to regain control of the land on 1 June.