CURRIPAO INDIANS IN BRAZIL

THE CURRIPAO SPEAK 5 DIALECTS OF ARAWAK AND MAIPURE ALONG THE RIO ICANATHEY LIVE IN NORTHWESTERN AMAZON. SINCE ABORIGINAL TIMES THE WAKUENAI HAVE INHABITED THIS AREA OF THE AMAZON.

IN 1985 THERE WERE 54000 PEOPLE IN 133 COMMUNITIES IN BRAZIL AND VENEZUELLA. THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE 3500 B.P. ACCORDING TO THE ARCHAEOLOGISTS. BY THE 16TH CENTURY EUROPEANS ARRIVED! THEY HAD ENEMIES AS WELL AS FRIENDLY TRIBES.

PORTUGUESE AND SPANISH SLAVES TRADE PENETRATED THIS THE UPPER RIO NEGRO, RESULTING IN INTERTRIBAL WARFARE . BY THE 1750'S THEY ABOLISHED SLAVERY AND THEN THEY CONTRACTED DISEASES. THE FRONTIER MILITARY EXPLOITED INDIAN LABOR. THEIR ABUSES RESULTED IN INDIAN RESISTANCE AND MOVEMENTS THAT LASTED 40 YEARS.

BY 1870'S THE RUBBER BOOM REACHED THE UPPER RIO NEGRO. THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS WQERE CENTERED ON ANCESTRAL SPIRIT AND THE LAWS OF THE ANCESTORS. THEY HAD CREATURE RELATIONS AMONG HUMAN, ANIMALS, AND THE SPIRIT WORLD! THEY HAD A PROFOUND FAITH IN SHAMANS. THEY MEDIATED BETWEEN HUMANS AND DIETIES AND THE POWERS OF THE HIGHEST DIETIES. THEIR COSMIC HISTORY IS REMEMBERED IN SACRED MYTHS WHICH RECOUNT THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. THEIR CREATOR IS A TRICKSTER AND SHAMAN WHO DWELLS IN THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF THE COSMOS. THE CREATOR'S SON IS AN EXTRAORDINARY HUMAN, ANIMAL, SPIRIT BEING WHO GIVES SACRED KNOWLEDGE TO HUMANITY AND WHOSE SONG OPENED THE WORLD TO THE PRESENT FORM. THEY BELIEVE THERE ARE 10 TIES TO THE SKY QABOVE EACH ONE HAS A DIFFERENT CLASS OF SPIRITS. MISSIONARIES HAVE MODIFIED THEIR BELIEFS. THEY HAVE MANY SHAMANS. THEY HELD CEREMONIES WHENEVER THEIR WAS A SURPLUS OF FOODS. THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THESE WERE THE INITIATION RITUAL. THEY HAD SACRED FLUTES AND DRUMS. THE CURRIPAO STILL MAINTAIN MANU OF THEIR TRADITIONAL BELIEFS. THEIR ARTS INCLUDED PETROGLYPH MAKING, SINGING RITUAL CHANTING, PLAYING INSTRUMENTS, MYTH TELLING, BODY PAINTING.

THEY USE HERBAL MEDICINE FOR REMEDIES -CURING RITUALS BY SHAMANS AND HAVING SOME RESTRICTIONS IN THEIR DIET. THEIR CATHOLIC USE TRADITIONAL AND WESTERN MEDICINE.


THEY BELIEVE IN SORCERY IS BASED ON SORCERERS AND BAD SPIRITS. THEY BELIEVE AT DEATH TWO PARTS OF A PERSON'S SOUL SEPARATES. THEY COLLECT ANCESTOR'S SOUL. TWO OF A PERSON'S SOUL SEPARATES. THE COLLECTIVE ANCESTOR'S SOUL IS UNITED IN THE HUMAN BVODY. A SIMILAR PROCESS POLARITY OF SOULS OF SOULIS BELIEVED OF SOULS IS BELIEVED TO OCCUR WITH ANIMAL AND THIRD SPECIES.

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