References to the Kawahiva date back to 1750, but it is unknown if the living Kawahiva people are their descendants, or if the modern Kawahiva are instead related to neighboring tribes. Regardless, they are believed to be descended from the Tupí. According to James S. Olson,"The Munduruku expansion (in the 18th century) dislocated and displaced the Kawahíb, breaking the tribe down into much smaller groups ". Rumors of a modern Kawahiva tribe date back as far as the 1980s, but the first definitive report of their existence came from loggers working in the area in 1999. Their continued existence has been threatened by deforestation, illegal logging, and attempts to kill or enslave them ever since.