[1] The word Dâw is a self-designation, meaning people.
In literature, as well as in Alto Rio Negro, they are often referred to as Kamã, but this name is considered very pejorative.
[2] During the 1980s the Dâw were close to extinction due to an unbalance between the number of men and women.
[3] Since then, the situation has improved considerably, and the Dâw are no longer threatened by extinction in spite of the low population.
[4][5][6] Today, the Dâw are in a permanent contact with non-indigenous people, mostly in the nearby city, São Gabriel da Cachoeira.