Tocantins River: The Waterway That Created Palmas
The Tocantins River — dammed to create the lake that surrounds Palmas — was the original reason for the city's location; the river's history, ecology, and the communities it sustained before the dam define the region's identity
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Pre-Dam Tocantins Communities
The dam that created Lake Palma flooded the towns of Paranã, Peixe and dozens of riverside communities; the displaced populations and their underwater history are the shadow behind the lake's recreational culture
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Bico do Papagaio
Bico do Papagaio – the northernmost region of the Tocantins – is where the Araguaia and Tocantins rivers join; the region's indigenous peoples and its political history of land conflicts make it a complex social geography
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Araguaia River Meeting
The Araguaia River joins the Tocantins at the top of the Tocantins state - the confluence creates the great ilha do Bananal, the world's largest river island; the island has indigenous territories and extraordinary wildlife
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Ilha do Bananal River Island
Ilha do Bananal — the world's largest river island, formed between Araguaia's two canals — is partially protected as Araguaia National Park; the island's indigenous peoples (Javaé, Karajá) maintain their cultures here
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Karajá Domestic ceramics
The Karajá people of Araguaia are famous for their ceramic dolls (Ritxòkò) — female figurines that transmit cultural knowledge and are now recognized as Brazil's most distinctive indigenous ceramic tradition
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River fishing culture
The fishing communities of the Tocantins and Araguaia rivers maintain traditional fishing knowledge — the diversity of fish, seasonal patterns and preparation methods are a living heritage of the river people of central Brazil