Unreached people group Frontier
Morerebi (Jiahui)
UnreachedThe Morerebi, also known as the Jiahui, are an Indigenous people of Tupi-Guarani linguistic affiliation, belonging to the Kagwahiva (or Kawahíva) grouping. They live in the southern part of the state of Amazonas, in the region of the middle Madeira River and its tributaries, such as the Marmelos River, with the city of Humaitá as the main regional reference point. Today they make up a very small population, a situation that reflects a long history of loss.
For a long time the Morerebi remained in isolation, avoiding contact with surrounding society. Throughout the 20th century they suffered from epidemics brought from outside, episodes of violence, and the arrival of exploitation fronts in the Amazon, such as road building and the activity of extractive companies. These factors drastically reduced their population and profoundly disrupted their traditional organization.
Despite all these pressures, the Morerebi maintain their own identity and the memory of their common origin with other Kawahíva peoples of the region. Language, oral tradition, and kinship ties remain central elements sustaining this people’s sense of belonging, as they continue to endure as a distinct group.
| Country | Share of the people | Population |
|---|---|---|
Brazil Unreached
|
100%
|
100 |
The life of the Morerebi is tied to the forest and the rivers. Their livelihood comes mainly from gathering forest products, such as Brazil nuts and açaí, along with other fruits and resources sold in the regional trade, especially in Humaitá, at prices that vary with the harvest season. The men also make and sell handicrafts, such as necklaces, rings, bracelets, and feather ornaments, supplementing family income.
Socially, the Morerebi are organized into two complementary halves, called Mytu and Taravé, associated with the curassow and the macaw. Each person is born into their father’s half, and marriages take place between members of different halves, which structures alliances and community life. Among their current challenges are the defense of their territory, pressure from outside activities on their lands, their small number of people, and the effort to keep their language and customs alive amid change.
The worldview of the Morerebi is characteristic of ethnic religions, marked by the perception that the forest, the rivers, the animals, and the ancestors are filled with spiritual presences. Daily life, hunting, gathering, and the cycles of nature are understood within a relationship of respect and care for these beings and forces, and oral tradition passes down the origin stories and values of the people.
In this universe of beliefs, practices, dreams, and the word of the elders guide decisions and give meaning to events. According to available data, there is practically no Christian presence among the Morerebi, and the gospel of Jesus Christ remains, to a great extent, unknown to this people.
The Morerebi have deep needs, both spiritual and practical. On the spiritual level, they are a people who do not yet know the gospel of Jesus Christ in their own language and culture, lacking any living expression of Christian faith among them. On the practical level, they face the fragility of a very small population, the defense of their territory, health concerns, and the preservation of their language and identity. To intercede for them is to cry out for their preservation as a people and for the light of God’s love to reach every life with respect and tenderness.
Pray for Morerebi (Jiahui)
Intercede for this people alongside Christians around the world.
Open the Prayer Calendar