Approximately 30,000 Guarani live in Brazil, making them the country's most numerous indigenous group, and they were one of the first to be contacted by outsiders. Since the 1950s the Guarani-Kaiowá have been driven off almost all their land by ranchers, severely compromising their ability to provide for themselves. The desperate circumstances of some communities have driven many young Guarani to take their own lives. A 17-year-old Guarani-Kaiowá youth who recently committed suicide was just one of more than 30 Guarani suicides so far this year. Three hundred and twenty Guarani-Kaiowá committed suicide between 1986 and the beginning of 2000, the youngest individual being only nine years old. A lack of significant support for Guarani communities is cited as one of the reasons for the widespread despair among young people.
