The Zoüé people are a native tribe in the State of Pará, Municipality of ÃÂbidos, on the Cuminapanema River, Brazil. They are a TupiâÂÂGuarani people.
They are also known as the Poturu, Poturujara, or Buré. The term "Zoüé" means "us", as opposed to non-Indians or enemies. The term "Poturu" is the type of wood used to make the embe'po labrets which they wear.
The Zoüé language belongs to Subgroup VIII of the Tupi-Guarani language family.
All Zoüé wear the poturu, a wooden plug piercing the bottom lip. The Zoüé have a tradition where new fathers have the backs of their calves cut with the 'tooth of a small rodent'. The marriage rituals of the Zoüé are complex and not fully understood. It is not known how many wives or husbands one is allowed to have. Many women practice polyandry. One or more husbands may be "learning husbands": young men learning how to be good spouses, in exchange for hunting for the rest of the family.
The Salt of the Earth documents the work of photographer Sebastião Salgado including his photographs of the Zoüé.