BRAZIL | SOCIAL | PHOTOGRAPHY: 2005

2005/12/21

the witnesses

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal © 2005.

Here is former street kid Poca (Jefferson), performing a moment about our Brazilian's slavery history and the Capoeria traditions, with the Humminbird Band (Banda Beija Flor). They were playing at Diadema, to the people from the Morro do Macaco's slum, in our last brazilian Children's day.

A few weeks ago we saw in many newspapers' covers Alexandra's shadow. Alexandra, 13-years old, participated in the gang who put fire to a bus full of people in Rio de Janeiro recently, commanded by the drug's traffic. Five people died, including a one-year old baby.
As another 750 thousand Brazilian children, Alexandra isn't registered, doesn't have a birth certificate or any other document, and will never have access to any social program in the country because she and all the others don't exist, officially.
Her mother died at 42, with tuberculosis, and she had never met her father. The social welfare never looked for her all this time; she had never gone to school and is therefore analphabetic. She started asking for food on the streets at 7-years old, and was adopted by the drug gangs to be used for small services.
So she changed the alms for the drug trafficker's life.

Her story truly proves how the structures that we live are failing. The family failed, society failed, the church, the community and the State failed. It's a sad repeated story from hundreds of lost children living alone in the brazilian streets. The only alternatives those children have are: choosing the drug gangs, the prostitution, or be lucky as Poca (on the picture above) and find alternatives programs.

Poca, 23-years old now, met this program called CARF (Children At Risk Foundation) in 1993. Poca's big dream whilst he lived on the streets of São Paulo for many years, was to one day become a Capoeira instructor. Thanks to CARF's efforts, he has realised that dream now and today he teaches 250 of our kids Brazilian sporting art of capoeira.
I met then just a year ago and I got involved.
You can watch some slide show sets I did there at this links:
Urban Outcries I
Urban Outcries II
Children's day
Capoeira's batizado

If you like to join and help this project just follow the star. It's my Christmas wish-list :)

2005/10/25

the NO face

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

In my country, in my heart.

That's a late reflexion. I made this portrait from Jason at the Children's day celebration, with CARF (Children at Risk Foundation). But this image became a symbol of my personal thoughts and feelings about the last gun's referendum we had in Brazil. I see a kind of mortuary mask.
I was remembering the emotions I felt while photographing those brave Mothers protesting at the II Urban Outcries Project, the communication program about firearms from CARF, at Diadema.

But with a two-thirds majority vote against banning the trade of firearms to the public.

And who pay the price of the right to have a gun?
Well, in the brazilian's lands: the poors, the street kids, the indigenous people, the black people, the landless workers... they pay it with life and tragedy. Will be only them who will really enlarge the numbers of gun's shot deaths. That's a very sad truth for us.

The news today, were telling that the NO Campaign (against the prohibition from the weapons free commerce) was totaly paid from only two industries of weapons, the Taururs and the CBC, who made an oficial donation of $2,4 millions to cover all the campaign after the vitory. There is no irregularity on that, just the moral and ethic questions. Did the brazilians vote for their own rights and certainties or for the results of this industries profit?
The YES Campaign hadn't received not even a half of this amount to their publicity; and in a country with a so large deficiency of schooling, the critic sense to evaluate all this is rare and a loss.

I understand that many were disappointed with the social politics of the governament, and that many voted as a protest against this. But the real consequences are that brazilians voted to stay exactly at the same place we are.
We didn't change anything.

We voted for the fear.

"I believe it to be a choice that goes far beyond a decision to whether or not we prohibit the trade of firearms in Brazil.
We are choosing what kind of society we want to be: turned towards individualism, an “every man for himself” attitude, or an organized society with social justice and citizenship"
Words from Carlos Eduardo Zuma, from Instituto Noos

2005/09/25

NYC Exposition

I am honoured as one of those inivited to exhibit 10 images at the New York City Exposition, and I invite all of you who are living at NY or near by.

An exhibition of photoblogs — NYC Exposition, Puerto Rico Sun, and East Harlem.
October 14 – November 26, 2005

Opening Reception:
Friday, October 14, 6:00PM –9:00PM
Viewing: Tuesday – Saturday, 3PM – 7PM
Artists' talk: Saturday, October 22, 3PM

MediaNoche
161 East 106th Street, First Floor
(between Lexington and Third Avenues)
(Postcard's Photo Courtesy of Hugo Provoste)

Global Voices Interview

David Sasaki, from Global Voices, emailed me with questions about things of my work and life. They published last september 8th this interview :)
So, just follow the link to Global Voices to meet a very nice way to know storys from all other the globe, to hear what the world are talking about, and if you would like to know a bit more of me.

There is also a nice link to this interview on this cool blog called Notes from a Teacher from Mark Hamilton, a former journalist and currently a journalism instructor in Vancouver.

The picture above are Nambikwara women dancing their "teenage-girl's ritual".

All photos here were taken on the Indigenous Nacional Party, realized by the Intertribal Committee (ITC) with the town hall's Bertioga City support, in São Paulo State. (April, 2005)

2005/06/25

dreamer

Four Guarani's girls were playing near the indigenous fair.
They were running and playing on the sand, as little birds.
I was surprised when one of them invited me with her eyes, to play. I couldn't say no.
I lose my afternoon there.
I won a life.

This one is Angela, the most dreamer and easy opened of the four.

The Guarani People live in many brazilian's states.
Population about 35.000, in 1998.

Angela invites

Angela shoots me

A small group of boys were playing near,
but not with the girl's group.
That boy, a Guarani child too, was curious about us.

I didn't realize at the first moment.
But when i looked at her i saw she looking at me,
with one eye open, exactly as a mirror.
That moment, she made my portrait too.

free light soul

They were hummingbirds :)
Dedicated to my friend Gregory and all the Humminbird People.

Please, visit their amazing work on Children at Risk Foundation's blog .

friends

Guarani suicides

Much of their land has been stolen from them. This crisis has driven over 300 Guarani, mainly adolescent to kill themselves.
The Guarani-Kaiowá in Brazil suffer particularly from this, and it has led to severe depression. Three hundred and twenty Guarani-Kaiowá committed suicide between 1986 and the beginning of 2000, the youngest being just 9 years old.

They are a deeply spiritual people, who believe they were the first people to be created by the 'great father', Ñande-Ru. For the Guarani the "terra sem mal", or 'land without evil', is the resting place of the soul after death. It is essential for the soul to arrive there so it can rest peacefully.

If you would like to take some action, please visit Survival site.

drawing on the sand

Those are Pará and Angela.
Pará was the smaller from the group and she didn't wanted to leave my hand when i went out. It was so touching for me.

We'll be friends for life. Sisters souls.

some lost sad look

"I think of the conditions in which we live -
abject poverty, those little houses.
We have nothing to eat and yet our people still sing with such joy, with such hope, always in search of the land without evil ...
We Indians don't want money or riches.
Do you know what we want?
We just want enough land to live on how we like."

Marta Silva, Guarani woman.

the female

That which creates life everywhere,
this inner sence of continuity and love.
The "Dança da nenina-moça" or "Teenage-girl's dance"
is to celebrate this possibilitys.

Heritage and evolution.
A pride to look to our past and walk to the future.
For all the womem.
Hope we won't forget it.

The Nambikwara woman dancing their "teenage-girl's ritual"
They live on the Mato Grosso State's west and Rondônia State from Brazil.
Population about 998, in 1999.

Nambikwara chief

My personal tribute to Claude Lévi-Strauss,
the anthropologist and also a great photographer.

You can see this Nambikwara chief in colors here.

2005/05/06

The Indigenous Social Forum

During the day we had the brazilian Indigenous Social Forum
"Traditions, Globalization and New Perspectives",
and a fair to sale their handicraft.
They were waiting for the beginning.
We had come early.

Those are Pareci People wich live at Chapada dos Parecis,
on Mato Grosso State from Brazil.
Population about 1.293, in 1999.

All photos here were taken on the Indigenous Nacional Party, realized by the Intertribal Committee (ITC) with the town hall's Bertioga City support, in São Paulo State. (April, 2005)

the Wazare myth

The Pareci's myth of creation tells they were birth from a stone, led by a mythical hero called Wazare, which had spread them from all the land. After Wazare finished his mission distributing the Pareci People on the Pareci's Chapada, he did a big confraternization's party before going back to his world.
During this party he taught the functions from the head, from the mind, commanding the body, and our capacity to develop intelligence while finding mental and spiritual fullness. He did it teaching the Xikunahity, the "head soccer".

Pareci body art

They call themselfs as Haliti,
which means "people", "human being".

Indigenous leader Marcos Terena

He were talking to other leaders at the Indigenous Social Forum "Traditions, Globalization and New Perspectives", to other leaders.

He is the unique Latin American indigenous spokespeople on the UN.
To know more about Marcos Terena, follow this link:
Call of the Earth - biography

Canela's leader

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal © 2005

At the Indigenous Social Forum.

women dancing

They were Canela People.
This dance made a kind of hypnosis sensation.
While they were reapeatting their words and shaking the rattles, the women was swinging subtle their bodys, and the arms were waggling.
Was fascinating for me to see their arms going to front and behind the body, all synchronized.

The Canela People live in Maranhão State from Brazil.
They were divided in two sub-groups: Ramkokamekrá and Apanyekrá.
Population about 1.337 Ramkokamekrá (in 2001) and 458 Apanyekrá (in 2000).

Pataxó beauty

They were waiting to the beginning of their ritual.
I really like the fact of this pretty woman was looking to the opposite side from everyone.
Even when we have the identity, the roots, is always good to keep the eyes open from every view sides. Keep your mind open, in many ways.

The Pataxó People lives in Bahia State from Brazil.
Population about 2.790 (in 1998)

smiling sun

Pataxó warrior

The Pataxo have long found themselves embroiled in conflicts over territory. Although their territories were "demarcated" in the 1930s, they were progressively marginalized by ranchers and other outsiders. In 1999 they made international headlines by occupying Monte Pasqual National Park, demanding the return of their traditional lands, and in the following year were highly visible again in protests surrounding the 500th anniversary of European "discovery" of Brazil.
They are still fighting, as you can see here in my old set from the V World Social Forum, where they did some protests.

Ubiranan is his name.
It means "Great Warrior's son".

fashioned

Ubiranan was wearing all those indigenous stuff.
I couldn't know where to look first.

Pataxó handicrafts

Located just 90 minutes from a major beach area, the community sees carefully managed tourism as a potential source of environmentally sustainable development that
could contribute to cultural preservation, giving youth an opportunity to remain in the area rather than drifting
to the cities.
Their village has embraced a return to its roots, an emphasis on reinvigorating traditional songs, dances, ceremonies, and even food and dress.

Pataxó whistle

When i saw this piece of wood on the ground with the handicrafts, I asked him what it was.
He wanted to show me, and made amazing bird's sounds.
I still don't know who was more concentrated,
he blowing the whistle
or me shooting his portrait
while listening the bird's sound through him.

All around was silence.

If i'm not wrong, his name is Matiguti,
which means tree's forest with big fruit :)

Gavião's chief

Gavião means hawk.

The Gavião People live in Rondônia State from Brazil.
Population about 436 (in 2000).

cinnamon skin

The Canela People compare formal friends to godfathers and godmothers or the godparents of a wedding, relationships which are common in the interior.
There is a special respect between these men and women, who should be reciprocally served, honored, and protected.

Her portuguese name is Eliana.
Canela means cinnamon.

The Canela People live in Maranhão State from Brazil.
They were divided in two sub-groups: Ramkokamekrá and Apanyekrá.
Population about 1.337 Ramkokamekrá (in 2001) and 458 Apanyekrá (in 2000).

no eyebrowns

There is something curious from the Canela People.
I was looking their faces and i could always recognize them.
So, i realize they don't have eyebrowns.
They take off with medicine herbs.
I couldn't find why.

Here this father was showing to the baby counting numbers with his fingers.

Nambikwara girl

She was looking through me
and she was happy :)

Her portuguese name is Cida.

The Nambikwara live on the Mato Grosso State's
west and Rondônia State from Brazil.
Population about 998, in 1999.

future

"We the Indigenous Peoples are moving towards the future along the trails left by our forefathers.
This is our culture.
This is our strength,
the spiritual strength that mankind is loosing...
Don't play with the spirit.
Your spirit is holy.
Your spirit is sacred.
It is your strength. Not anybody else's strength."

Indigenous leader Marcos Terena

The Nhambikwara woman and child.

circle of life

"Indigenous Peoples are united by a circle of life,
It's a circle of life that circles the Earth, waters,
the air, what you call... the environment.

We who believe are most familiar with nature ...
you must become our allies.
Do not fear us because the future of the
Indians is your future too.
And it is also the future of the planet."

Indigenous leader Marcos Terena

Nhambikwara woman dancing their "teenage-girl's ritual"

Asurini People

"They say the universe was first created, but then it was flooded and the earth ceased to exist, 'it became soft.' From this misfortune, only one man survived, sheltered at the top of a bacabeira tree. It was then that Mahira summoned tapir for the animal to harden the surface of the earth. Mahira also extracted his own rib, transforming it into a woman, which allowed the human population to increase."

Lúcia Andrade, Pro-Indian Commission - São Paulo, from ISA

The Asurini People live in Pará State from Brazil.
Population about 303 (in 2001).

2005/04/25

opening ceremony

That was the begginning of the Indigenous Nacional Party.
A meeting to celebrate life.
This warriors, man and woman came
together to light the torchs fire.
They were giving a symbolic life to the ceremony.

The couple live on the Indigenous Park of the Xingu , on Mato Grosso State, from Brazil. They are many ethnics groups living there.
I met the Kuikuro and the Yawalapiti People here.

All photos here were taken on the Indigenous Nacional Party, realized by the Intertribal Committee (ITC) with the town hall's Bertioga City support, in São Paulo State (april, 2005).

lighting balance

As we need the differences between
male and female to produce life,
the cold would not exist without the warm,
and nature gave us both extremes: ice and fire.
Light would not exist without the dark.

That's what i was hearing on the symbolic ritual.
We may need the difference to create balance.
What do you hear?

the karajá girl

This girl is beyond hope.
When i saw her, i was thinking about future.
Being a human living in the wild nature,
covered by the ancestral knowledge,
Beside me, a lot of people and technology...
and we above stars, wind, sand and the ocean.
Yes, i think she was hearing the ocean.
She is a mysterious, she is beyond hope.

She is a Karajá girl, and lives on the Bananal Island,
on Tocantins State from Brazil.
Population about 1.804, in 1999.

Karajá People

I believe sometimes it wasn't easy for some of them being there. Specially for the olders and some children.
Some were proud but some were a bit affraid.
Some were out of their tribes for the first time in life.

from the river

They have a deep relation with the Araguaia River,
which is the source of their subsistence.
Their myth of creation tells that they came from
the bottom of this river and occuped its border.

Karajá wings

They made me dream
they were preparing to fly :)

cacique Nambikwara

"Cacique" means the Indian tribal chief.
He is the leader of the "People from the Ashes",
and he emphasized it to me when
I asked permission before taking his portrait.

They have a special ritual for this nose piercing.
They do it to mark the puberty's masculine passageway,
were the boy should show courage, firmness and spiritual power.

I looked to this photo more then a hundred times.
First, i'm still asking why he was looking to me so deep.
Second, i just can't believe that i did this one.

And i'm sure this wonderful man should be very very proud (as i am), if he could see what The Humminbird's Foundation children were doing. Take a look here at Bruno's work on Children at Risk Foundation, the CARF's photostream :)

The Nambikwara live on the Mato Grosso State's
west and Rondônia State from Brazil.
Population about 998, in 1999.

Nambikwara People

The Nambikwara are also called the "People from the Ashes",
because they use to slept on the ground, near the fire,
and dawn covered by a mixture of sand and ashes.

Nambikwara singers

Xikunahity, the "head's soccer"

The Nambikwara warriors showed as a quick simulation of their "head's soccer", called Xikunahity. The game was created by the mythological Wazare, from the Pareci People.
I didn't make a better shot of this moment, so i aded notes (pass your mouse on the picture) to guide you to this game. There are two groups playing, and when the ball comes they had to jump on the ground and only use the head to kick. It's is amazing how strong they were doing that, cause the ball don't play high, but on the ground, as the soccer game we know.

Xavante People

Those are my ancestors, the brave Xavantes.
They are great warriors. I have a special
feeling and a deep respect for them.
My blood, their world.
My eyes, their look.
My soul, their spirit.

The Xavante People live on the Mato Grosso State from Brazil.
Population about 9.602, in 2000.

Intention

Uiwede Wapraba, the "trunk's race"

They were two teams and two heavy trunks of Buriti's wood.
It's a race. They run while loading the wood,
rotating who will keep next, one by one.
An differentiated way to Xavante People show purpose and vigor,
while having fun :)

warriors

warriors, originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

constelations

In Kuikuros People's culture, some dreams and sickness could put humans in contact with the itsekes spirits (sobrenatural spirits living in the forests and in the water's bottoms), to reestablish the balance, the order, the health.But if you born a Xaman, you can be relate with the itsekes spirits naturally.

They are many ethnics groups living Indigenous Park of the Xingu ,
on Mato Grosso State, from Brazil. I met the Kuikuro and the Yawalapiti People.
Yawalapiti's population were about only 208 people,
and Kuikuros were about 394, in 1999.

time of creation

For the Kuikuro People from Xingu everything which exist
and deserve an explanation, is associate with one or more narratives.
The sun, Giti, is the cultural hero, the creator with their twin
brother Aulukuma, the moon. The time of creation was, and still is,the time where humans and not-humans were comunicating each other.