Museum of the Indigenous Populations, Rio de Janeiro

The Museum of the Indigenous Populations (Museu do Índio) operates as a cultural and scientific institution under the National Foundation of Indigenous Populations. It was established in 1953 by Darcy Ribeiro, a prominent Brazilian figure with expertise in anthropology, history, sociology, writing, and politics. This Brazilian museum is the only official institution dedicated to preserving and promoting indigenous cultures. Its mission is to provide an accurate and current portrayal of indigenous communities while dispelling misconceptions and prejudices.

The museum boasts a diverse collection, encompassing artifacts from a wide range of contemporary indigenous groups, amounting to a total of 14,000 ethnographic items. Additionally, the Marechal Rondon Library, affiliated with the museum, houses an extensive collection of 16,000 national and international publications specializing in ethnology and related fields. The library also contains 50,000 images from various contexts, including 3,000 digital photographs stored on CD-ROMs, approximately 200 films, videos, and sound recordings. Moreover, there are 500,000 historically significant documents that provide insight into the political situations faced by various indigenous groups in Brazil, spanning from the late 19th century to the present day.

Inside the main museum building, visitors can explore eleven different exhibition rooms, where the Museu do Índio periodically showcases paintings and photographs from its extensive archives. Furthermore, the museum's gardens offer visitors a unique experience with five distinct environments, such as a Guarani fazenda, a Xingu kitchen, and a ritual house for the Xingu Quarup (also spelled "Kuarup"). These outdoor spaces provide a hands-on opportunity to immerse oneself in the indigenous way of life and culture.