the museu do índio, which functions as part of the national indigenous foundation (funai), has higher aims than to simply preserve relics from the past -it works to grow awareness of the importance of indigenous groups in modern society in addition to promoting cultural heritage.

aside from its immense collections, the museum houses tens of thousands of documents, records and ethnographic pieces from the past and present, serving as the essential reference point for researchers and indigenous brazilians alike. other initiatives launched by the museum and its partners include preservation of land rights and civil equality.