Among the primitive tribes of the Amazon is the Yawalapiti tribe. This isolated tribe can be found in the depths of the Amazon jungle. They do not receive electricity or water service.
The village chief, “black monkey,” welcomes visitors and is responsible for everything from justice to security. Even marriages are to be announced by the chief.
The people in the village live in small simple houses in the form of squares. Intimacy is on a different level among the Yawalapiti. Women go to bed with men at night and they can make as many children as they want because every child to be born belongs to the tribe.
The Yawalapiti have a wrestling-like sport called the Quarup. It holds each year after harvest and opponents in the sport show their power to each other.
Yawalapiti warriors hold wrestling matches in qualifying rounds to select the best team to confront warriors from other tribes. The winner of the inter-tribal event will be crowned ‘Great Champion’.
The Quarup is also a ritual held over several days to honour in death, a person of great importance to the tribe. In its original form, the Quarup was a funeral ritual intended to bring the dead back to life.
Today, it is a celebration of life, death and rebirth. From the very oldest to the very youngest, all the members of the Yawalapiti tribe participate in the preparations.
These events are held in the deceased’s village and involve dancing, the playing of ceremonial flutes and wrestling. Participants are adorned with intricate body paints and the ceremonies culminate with the placing of a carved and painted totem log, signifying the deceased, in the village plaza.
The Xingu River is the children of the tribe’s main playground. It is also a source of food. The men catch a vampire fish from the river known as cachorra and serve it to their guests.
Labour is organized by gender amongst the Yawalapiti: men fish; plant manioc and carve wood whilst women care for and harvest manioc; cook and work with textiles.
The textile work involves the weaving of Yawalapiti hammocks, identifiable by their unique designs and bold dyes.
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