The Juruna of Brazil

The Juruna of Brazil, numbering approximately 500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Xingu River people properly called Yudja, meaning owners of the Xingu River, whose population fell from 2,000 in 1842 to just 52 by 1916 under colonial invasion and the rubber boom, now facing renewed disruption from the Belo Monte dam. They mostly adhere to Ethnoreligion and Jurúna is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Juruna

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Latin American and Caribbean Peoples
Country: Brazil
People Cluster: South American Indigenous
Primary Language(s): Jurúna (jur)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion
Population: 500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG016917
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Juruna of Brazil

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Ethnoreligion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

—
%
Ethnoreligion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Jurúna
Language Family: Tupian

100%
%
Jurúna Speakers

Media Resources in Jurúna:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Jurúna:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Jurúna bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Juruna are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Juruna:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Juruna of Brazil

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.
readEphesians 2:4-5

Pray that those who have not yet received new life will be made alive together with Christ, saved by grace and raised up with Him to newness of life.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
readJohn 8:12

Pray that many will come to know Jesus, the light of the world, and have the light of life instead of walking in darkness.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
readJames 1:2-3

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will consider it pure joy when they face trials of many kinds, trusting in God's promise that the testing of their faith produces perseverance.

Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
readLuke 10:3

Ask God to raise up and send humble believers who will depend on Him as they go out like lambs among wolves to share the good news with those who need to hear it.

Juruna Across Countries (ROP3 - 104334) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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