Mato Grosso do Sul State covers the second greatest Indian population in Brazil. The Terena people, privately treated in this article, live in eight cities of Mato Grosso do Sul and his population is approximately 18.000 (eighteen thousand) Indians, disposed in small areas hedged in farms, called "Indian Reserves". This article intends to report the social organization of Terena Indians in Nioaque Indian Reserve and some considerations of the actual reality of the point of view of Terena people. Nioaque Indian Reserve was formed by two small places: the Indian settlement Brejão founded on 1.904 by the "Capitão Vitorino" family and the Indian settlement Água Branca, that was divided on three settlements, due to three aspects indicated by the author: domination of the territory by agnatic familiar groups, searching of power and organization/ administration facility of the Indian settlement. The author reports three important historical moments of the Terena people in Mato Grosso do Sul State, but advertises to the fourth moment they live nowadays: the searching by external knowledge through the education, as survival form and cultural encouragement of this people.
indian reserve; social organization; Indian settlement; cultural encouragement