Gavião Kyikatejê Futebol Clube

First professional football club formed mainly by indigenous people in Brazil, created by the Kyikatêjê people in the interior of Pará. It is affiliated with the Pará Football Federation and competes in state competitions.

History

The club was born from the Kyikatêjê indigenous people, from the village located in the municipality of Bom Jesus do Tocantins, in southeastern Pará. In 2007, village leaders acquired the federal rights of the extinct Castanheira Esporte Clube to compete in municipal championships, and in 2009 the team was officially founded, beginning to comply with all CBF standards to act as a professional association. Under the leadership of chief Zeca Gavião, club president, the team incorporated elements of Kyikatêjê culture into its visual identity, with a shield in the shape of an arrowhead. The club's name means 'river upstream' in the language of the Kyikatêjê people, reinforcing the bond between football and the cultural roots of the community. In 2014, Gavião Kyikatejê became the first team formed by a traditional people to compete in the main division of a state championship, competing in the first division of the Pará State Championship. Although linked to the Pará Football Federation, the club maintains its headquarters and social base in the Kyikatêjê village, in Bom Jesus do Tocantins. More than sporting results, the club became a symbol of visibility for indigenous peoples in Brazilian football, being a recurring theme in reports and campaigns around the World Cup and dates linked to native peoples.