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People group profile · PG017176

The Waimiri-Atroari of Brazil

The Waimiri-Atroari of Brazil, numbering about 1,100 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Carib-speaking Indigenous people who call themselves Kinja in the Waimiri-Atroari territory of Roraima and Amazonas, remembered for resisting outside incursion until a 1970s-80s highway project and its epidemics pushed them to the brink of extinction.

They are an indigenous people in the South American Indigenous people cluster of the Latin American and Caribbean Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Waimiri-Atroari.

Pray for the Waimiri-AtroariPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Waimiri-Atroari people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Waimiri-Atroari

Fast facts

Country
Brazil
Population
1,100
Affinity group
American Peoples
People cluster
South American Indigenous
Primary language
Waimiri-Atroari (atr)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index ?
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
South America, Americas
Location
Amazonas: border area with Roraima state on Alalau and Camanau, Jatapu, and Jauaperi rivers. 24 villages

Where they live

Gospel status

The Waimiri-Atroari are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Waimiri-Atroari

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Animism · Ethnoreligion

90% adherents

Primary language

Waimiri-Atroari · Cariban family

100% speak Waimiri-Atroari

Gospel resources in Waimiri-Atroari

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Waimiri-Atroari

  1. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  2. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  3. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  4. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.

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