Population evolution of the Laklãnõ people (1914–2025): a century of ethnocide and genocide attempts

Abstract

This article examines the historical and demographic evolution of the Laklãnõ (Xokleng) population in southern Brazil from the early twentieth century to 2025, integrating population data, historical records, and fieldwork-based information. The study employs a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodology, combining bibliographic review, documentary analysis of official and missionary sources, systematization of secondary demographic data, and ethnographic fieldwork conducted within the Laklãnõ Indigenous Territory. The theoretical framework draws on historical anthropology, Indigenous demography, and critical analyses of contact processes, state violence, and indigenist policies. The findings reveal significant population fluctuations linked to colonization, territorial expansion, forced confinement, and state interventions, followed by a recent phase of demographic recovery. The analysis shows that Laklãnõ population dynamics cannot be understood through a linear perspective, requiring an integrated interpretation of numerical data, historical context, and lived social experiences. The study contributes to broader debates on Indigenous demographic change and historical processes in southern Brazil.