Brazil: Indio tribes in the Amazonas basin:
Bororo indios, Tupigorani indios,
Waiapi indios
from: Indianer III.: Die Waiapi - Volk des Dschungels [Indians III.:
The Waiapi -
people of the jungle]; phoenix,
4.1.2001, 20:15-21:15
Bororo indios: almost exterminated
The Bororo are Brazil indios of the savannah, without towns or
fortifications. From their culture only their songs exist yet. The
dances are lost and only exist in films, for example the jaguar rituals.
Without fortifications the Portuguese racists had an "easy play" with
the Bororo.
Today the flocks of the white racists are ousting the Bororo, so the
Bororo are imprisoned in little villages. They are forced to be
integrated into the agrarian economy in a fertilizer company. In 1450
about there were 50.000 Bororo, today 300.
RACISM AGAINST INDIOS EXISTS UNTIL TODAY.
Tupigorani indios
They were the most powerful group of the
indio tribes in the Amazonas basin in former times. Today they live in
reservations together with the Tupi. They flee with the Waiapis from
the white racists into the jungle.
Western researchers brought lethal illnesses to the indios so many
Tupis died.
Waiapi indios are fighting for themselves
successfully
The Waiapi are nomades migrating through the virgin forest until
Northern Brazil. A part of them lives in the Brazil virgin forest,
another part in French Guayana. The Waiapi have reconstructed their
history and refuse western clothes as the only people [of the three
tribes prescribed in this film].
The Waiapis have animals as a part of the household. They refuse to
build towns.
Food
The Waiapi don't know fix meals. They eat when
they are hungry. Popunia is a cooked fruit.
The clear delimitation against the
culture
of the White
The White are not popular because the
White cure only their own illnesses. The Waiapi also can distinguish
clearly which instruments and machines are useful or bring harm to
them. Thrillers, western films or stupefying talk shows have no chance
to be performed, but films of resistance are often performed. The
Waiapis even envite the White for film performances.
The children of the Waiapis go to school. Subjects of the curriculum
are hygiene and illnesses of feet, work with microscope to search for
example for malaria. The microscope is one of the accepted instruments
from the Whites.
Borders which are not respected by the
white racists
The territory of the indios is marked, but the white gold diggers do
not respect it and they are contaminating the whole territory with
mercury and bring illnesses into the virgin forest which bring a high
death rate to the indios. Therefore the Waiapis are driving away the
gold diggers at regular intervals. They have radio contact between the
villages for that.
The village Mariru
Oruku is a fruit to be rubbed on the skin to color the human skin
Schenipapu
Attempts of the white culture:
-- a bra is a peace of ornament
-- women wear a towel around the waist
-- men wear wristwatches.
Indian traditions:
-- women and men are separated
-- production of manyok alcohol: Kasiri.
The indios enjoy to film the Whites.
Food
Fishing and chasing. Chasing can take weeks or
months.
The chase is exhausting because the animals, birds and chickens of the
virgin forest are shy. But there is never a hurry because time tables
are not known. There is an economy of the needs, not of the time.
Girl's education and marriage
After the first menstruation / menarche the
girls get their hair cut and the marriage begins. The new hair will be
stronger. The marriage has no great ceremony.
Handicraft
Palm leaves are plaited to buskets.
The white racist and his missionars had no chance at the Waiapi.
Ceremonies: The ceremony for the jaguar ghost Onza
The Onza ceremony is one of the oldest rituals:
-- conjuration of the ghost Onza, the ghost of jaguar - the jaguar is
appreciated for his wisdom and his skillfulness
-- a faked chase with blowtubes is performed
-- the men bring Kasiri to the women in thanks for the preparation of
the festivities, the manyok alcohol beverage
-- the festivity is 7 houres, with playing darts, even women may play
darts
-- then for 8 houres a fighting is performed ending with a victory and
with the adoration of the ghost of Onza.
The Waiapi are successfully using the culture of the Whites and use
only the necessary of it. They preserve their own identity. They have
the luck not to be driven away and they have the energy to fight
against the invasion of the white racists.
Conclusions by Michael
Palomino
-- the lawful protection does not use anything to the indio tribes when
the white racists are not respecting the law and when the compliance
with the regulations is not controlled
-- racism is a psychical illness which is not defined until today, and
this illness of racism will provoke the extermination of cultures again
and again.
