Guarani pipe's spirit

originally uploaded by ©Tatiana Cardeal.

Being the local host of the Indigenous National Festival, the Guarani People are usually very shy, and just a few of them participate of the Festival. Around Bertioga city there are tribes from Guarani's lands. They survive between the transition of being indigenous with access to all the city's culture and consume, but being very poor and denied by the local community and the absence of specific public politics to support their changes.
At this festival they were more than the last two years; a larger group reflecting being confidant and proud of their tradition. Something have been changing there.

Looking the boy smoking, I had some ambiguous feelings.
I hope their traditions stay strong, alive as that spirit's face through the smoke of the pipe.

>> Indigenous National Festival at Bertioga city, 2007..... (slide-show link)

Copyright © 2007 Tatiana Cardeal. All rights reserved.
Reprodução proibida. © Todos os direitos reservados.

dreamer

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal. All photographs © 2003-2005.

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

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal © 2005.

Angela shoots me

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal © 2005.

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

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal © 2005.

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

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal © 2005.

Guarani suicides

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal. All photographs © 2003-2005.

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

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal © 2005.

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

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal © 2005.

"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.

Guarani Kaiowá people

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal © 2005.

They were showing me their posters, which demands
the homologation from the land were they live in the
Village Nhanderu Marangatu, in Mato Grosso brazilian's state.

I believe the link above should be the most complete information about brazilian indigenous, translated to english. It's a non profit organization, with a very intense work. Hope you enjoy.
www.socioambiental.org

Guarani baby

Guarani baby, originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

A sunset with the shinning of this eyes :)

Guarani people