cacique Nambikwara

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal © 2005

"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.