This research paper will delve into the topic of cannibalism in the native tribes of Brazil during the Portuguese colonization of the South American country. My research on the topic alone yielded very interesting results. Some scholars suggest that cannibalism (in cases involving the Tupinamba tribe and their ritual practices) did not even occur. This is not to say, however, that cannibalism was completely non-existent in Brazil, but it does argue that it did not occur in the “savage” ways often described. I could easily summarize various witness accounts of cannibalism, but I will focus on material that primarily discusses the effect cannibalism had on colonization in Brazil. It could be argued that cannibalism was one of the most important aspects of colonization, “ Cannibalism provided perhaps the most potent weapon for European control. Since the early voyages of Christopher Columbus, reports that American Indians practiced cannibalism cannibalism provided invaders with easy ammunition to legitimize their conquest. The moral imperative to eliminate cannibalism could refute any objections raised about the brutalities of death, disease, misery, violence, and imprisonment that Europeans inflicted on native peoples.1 It could be argued that the most important tool for historians to understand interactions through cannibalism is most likely Hans Staden to analyze his claims nor is it exclusively about him, he is considered an at least semi-truthful primary source and is one of the very few, so his name will appear often Hans Staden has often been mentioned in our class discussions because his work on cannibalism is widely regarded as the only certainty... middle of paper... cannibalism will remain unanswered, but the effects of cannibalism in Brazil can still be felt today and its importance in colonization is irrefutable. Works Cited Conklin, Beth. “CONSUMER IMAGES: REPRESENTATIONS OF CANNIBALISM ON THE AMAZON FRONTIER.” Anthropological quarterly. 70. n. 2 (1997): 68-78.Martel, H.E. "Hans Staden's Captive Soul: Identity, Imperialism, and Rumors of Cannibalism in Sixteenth-Century Brazil." Journal of World History. 17. n. 1 (2006): 51-69.Forsyth, Donald. "THREE HELLOS FOR HANS STADEN: THE CASE OF BRAZILIAN CANNIBALISM." Ethnohistory. 32. n. 1 (1985). Carroll, Patrick. Ethnic transgression and hybridity in northeastern South America and the Caribbean. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2005. Metcalf, Alida. Go-Betweens and the colonization of Brazil. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2005.