MACUNA INDIANS IN BRAZIL

THEIR NAME MACUNA IS A SPEECH COMMUNITY. THEY LIVE IN A TROPICAL FOREST IN NORTHWEST AMAZON NEAR THE PIRA PARANA RIVERS. IN 1973 THEIR POPULATION WAS 400 FOLKS. IN 1989 THE CENSUS INCLUDED 600 FOLKS. THEIR LANGUAGE IS DIFFERENT CLANS EASTERN TUCANOAN. THE DIFFERENT CLANS FORM THE MACUNA SPEECH.

THEY HAD A VIOLENT CONFLICT IN THE PAST WITH WITH THEIR SOUTHERN NEIGHBORS. THE PORTUGUESE MET THEM IN 18TH CENTURY. DURING LATE 19TH CENTURY RUBBER WAS EXPLOITED. THE MACUNA EXPERIENCED THE IMPACT OF THE RUBBER COMPANIES. THEY WERE FORCED TO WORK FOR WHITE RUBBER PATRONS. THE FIRST CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES EXISTED SINCE THE 18TH CENTURY.

THEIR NEIGHBORS HAD A NEW ECONOMIC BOOM BASED ON GROWING CACAO LEAVES FOR COCAINE. SOON THE MACUNA ALSO WERE INVOLVED ALSO WERE INVOLVED. ANGLOS CAME HERE TO TRADE THESE LEAVES. THE BOOM ENDED BY 1980'S THE MACUNA NO COCAO LEAVES FOR SALE AND WHITE TRADERS AND THE TRADERS HAD LEFT. GOLD WAS FOUND NEARBY THEIR TERRITORY AND 1000'S OF WHITE GOLD MINERS CAME HERE . THE MACUNA UTILIZED THE GOLD RUSH AS A NEW SOURCE OF INCOME. SOME DIG FOR GOLD ON THEIR OWN OR LOOK FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT.

THE GOVERNMENT CREATED TWO RESERVATIONS FOR THEM, INCLUDING A TERRITORY. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT FOR THEM. THEY LIVE IN A SINGLE FAMILY AND A MULTIFAMILY LONG HOUSE CALLED MALOCA. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF A ROUND AREA. ANOTHER IS RECTANGULAR AND EARLIER THEY HAD BUILT HUGE. BOTH ARE SEEN IN A NUMBER OF SMALL SINGLE SMALL FAMILY HOUSES. DURING IMPORTANT CEREMONIES 70 PEOPLE CAN BE ACCOMMODATED HERE. THE MALOCAS WERE IN TURN GROUPED INTO LARGE NEIGHBORHOODS.

NO MARRIAGE CEREMONY IS PERFORMED FOR THIS TRIBE. IT IS NEGOTIATED WITH BETWEEN SENIOR MEN OF FAMILIES INVOLVED. DIVORCE WAS RARELY PRACTICED. THE NUCLEAR FAMILY FORMED PART OF THE LARGER RESIDENCE THE FAMILY WAS THE BASIC UNIT AND IF THEY CLEARED LAND A GROUP OF FOLKS HELPED OUT. FISH AND GAME WERE SHARED BY FAMILIES OF THE MALOCA. FOOD SHARING IS COOPERATIVE. THEIR PROPERTY IS NOT INHERITED FROM FATHER TO SON.

CHILDREN ARE RAISED PERMISSIVELY. YOUNG KIDS ARE CARED FOR FOR BY THE MOTHER AND AN ELDER SIBLING. GIRLS HELP MOMS IN GARDENS AND DOMESTIC CHORES. BOYS HELP THEIR FATHER AND OLDER BOYS ON HUNTING AND FISHING TRIPS.
TODAY THEIR SCHOOLS ARE GOVERNMENT SPONSORED. IN 1970'S FORMAL SCHOOL WAS INTRODUCED.

THEY LIVE ON SWIDDEN, HUNTING, FISHING, AND GATHERING OF WILD FOREST RESOURCES. THEIR STAPLE IS BITTER MANIOC. A LARGE NUMBER OF PLANTS OTHER PLANTS ARE GROWN-PLAINTAINS, SWEET POTATOES, BANANAS, PINEAPPLES AND SUGARCANE.. FISH IS THEIR PRIMARY PROTEIN. THEY SPEND A GOOD DEAL OF TIME HUNTING, PACAS, PECARRIES, AND TAPIRS, MONKEYS, AND CAMINS. THE FUR TRADE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE ECONOMY UNTIL THE 1970'S. WHEN IT WAS PROHIBITED. FARINHA, A MANIOC ROOT IS TRADED WITH ANGLOS FOR CENTURIES.

THEY PRODUCE POTTERY AND BASKETS. ARROW POISON IS ANOTHER PRODUCT THE MACUNA OBTAINED FROM MACU GROUPS. THEY PARTICIPATED IN LARGE SCALE TRADING SYSTEMS SEEMS TO HAVE OPERATED IN A LARGE AREA. THE MACUNA ARE EXPERT BASKET MAKERS. SALT IS PRODUCED LOCALLY, BUT TODAY IT IS OBTAINED FROM ONE ANGLO.THEY BUY METAL TOOLS, AXES, KNIVES, AND HUNTING, AND FISHING GEAR FROM ANGLOS.

EACH MACUNA CLAN IS CONSIDERED THE OWNER OF CERTAIN LAND PROPERTIES. THIS OWNERSHIP IS DERIVED FROM MYTH OF CREATION. EVERY CLAN MEMBER HAS THE RIGHT TO HUNT, FISH AND CLEAR LAND FOR CROPS. THE FOREST AND RIVER CROPS ARE THE COMMUNAL PROPERTIES OF CERTAIN FAMILIES. WHO HAVE EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO THEIR FIELDS.

ACCORDING TO MACUNA THE WORLD AND ALL IN IT WAS CREATED BY 4 GODLIKE MYTHYLOGICAL AND ANCESTRAL MOTHERS, OR WOMAN SHAMANS. THE SEXUAL UNION BETWEEN THE MYTHOLOGICAL HEROS AND THE ANCESTRAL MOTHER GAVE BIRTH TO THE CLAN ANCESTORS. THEIR HEROS ARE THUNDER AND LIGHTENING WHEREAS THE ANCESTRAL MOTHER IS CONCEIVED IN A STAR.

THEY HAVE IMPORTANT CEREMONIES ALL PEOPLE NEED TO COME. ALL PEOPLE NEED TO COME TO THESE RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES. THERE ARE SHAMANS WHOMANAGE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS WORLD OF ANCESTORS. OTHERS ARE FUNDAMENTALLY HEALERS. THE SERVICES OF THE SHAMANS ARE REQUIRED CONTINUOUSLY.THE CHANTER RECOUNTS A MYTHOLICAL CREATION STORY, THAT REENACTS THE MAJOR DANCE RITUALS. TODAY ONLY MEN HOLD THESE IMPORTANT RITUAL OFFICES. IN THE PAST FEMALES WERE ALSO SHAMANS. DURING RITUALSONLY CEREMONIAL FOODS.FOODS ARE CONSUMED: COCA, TOBACCO, LOCALLY BREWED BEER, AND A HALLUCINOGENIC DRUG - YAGE. THESE COMMUNAL RITUALS DRAMATIZE AND SYMBOLICALLY REENACT MYTHICAL EVENTS TO THE CREATION OF THE WORLD AND THE PEOPLE LIVING HERE ARE BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE. THEY BELIEVE IN REIN CARNATION AND IN ALTERNATE GENERATIONS.

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