One of the Gê peoples who spoke the Xakriabá dialect of the Akwe language, they used to live in the Tocantins River area.

In the early 18th century, Matias Cardoso de Almeida, a pioneer, slaughtered Indians in the region.

The Roman Catholic church forced local tribes to build missions.

Ranchers forced the Xakriabá to build fences for cattle in the tribes' territory.

The Xakriabá resisted by setting fire to the fences, and ranchers responded violently.