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 natives: 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 natives
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 natives 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.
