The Kalapalos and these tribes also share certain oral legends which describe their encounters with the white man and Christian rituals.

This oral tradition suggests that the Kalapalos encountered explorer Colonel Percy Fawcett and may have been the last to see his expedition alive.

Since then, the Brazilian government has convinced them to settle near the Leonardo station, where medical treatment was made available.

However, they frequently return to their former villages where they can grow cassava and cotton and where they can gather shellfish for art and craft-making purposes.

The Kalapalos have a strict code of ethics established by them that distinguish them from other peoples inhabiting the Upper Xingu.

The two most important social units in Kalapalo and other upper Xingu societies are the village and household groups.

The leader represents the village in matters that involve other upper Xingu groups ("Countries and Their Cultures").

May to September is the dry season in the upper Xingu region during which time food is abundant.

The Kalapalo also grow piqui fruit, maize, peppers, beans and sweet manioc.

About once a year they have "Jogos Indigenas" (Indigenous Games), their tribal equivalent of the Olympics, where people from different tribes convene and compete against one another.