BRAZIL | SOCIAL | PHOTOGRAPHY

2009/09/03

the Jabuti spirit can sing

Embraced by his friend that was playing the flute, they danced together.
It was the first time I've seen someone playing a Jabuti's (turtle) hull.
The sound was a vibration produced by the friction of his warm hand,
in a constant rhythm, giving me a sense of transe.
Hypnotic and beautiful.

In the House of Knowledge, at São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas.

2009/07/22

Bará

A Bará Indigenous man that is living at São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas, also found at the Maloca (House of Knowledge) a secure place to express his own traditions and share with others. A way to keep his immaterial cultural alive.

With a peculiar humor, he was listed to me as a 'dangerous indigenous man' by the Baniwa's leader of the community, because he has a mustache (not very usual here).
Bará People are rare in Brazil, a estimative about their group here is about only 39 people. His original tribe is near the frontier with Colômbia, around Papuri river.

São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas.
+ Info: ISA: Povo Bará

2009/07/16

maloca's gate

There are 22 familes living at Itacoatiara Mirim, a Baniwa Comunity around São Gabriel da Cachoeira. To recover their traditions after leaving the original tribe, they built this "Maloca", also knowed as House of Knowledge.

"House of Knowledge is an area of transmission and learning of the traditional culture for those who do not know or forgot. It's to talk, tell stories of past, reliving the custom to eat together. A place to dance, make instruments, showing the young our culture" explained Mestre Luiz Laureano, community leader. "The House of Knowledge is also to receive relatives who come from the original tribe to share with us the stories of our family who were there. Is a school that will pass knowledge. "

São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas - Brazil.

Info | ISA - Índios e a Casa de Conhecimento

2009/06/12

mourning chant to Peru

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

Image: Ashaninka man watching fireworks at the Indigenous National Party, at Bertioga.

A week ago (June, 5), many people have died in clashes in Peru between the security forces and indigenous people in the Amazon region. Those killed included tribesmen and policemen. The violence took place as security forces tried to end a road blockade, a highway near the town of Bagua.
Peru is witnessing violent clashes between indigenous groups desperately trying to protect the Amazon and the government, who has pushed through legislation allowing intensive mining, logging and large scale farming in the rainforest.
If government and extractive industries have their way, the Peruvian rainforest and its people will suffer massive devastation.

More info about , here:
Laws criticized by Peru's indigenous groups

Sign the urgent petition below (from AVAAZ.org)
and support the courageous struggle of the indigenous peoples to protect the Amazon — a prominent and well respected Latin American politician will deliver it to President Alan Garcia on our behalf.

English: Protect Indigenous Rights - Save the Amazon

Português: Proteja os direitos indígenas e a Amazônia

Espanol: ¡Por los derechos indígenas y la Amazonia!

Also available in other languages, please check the links.

2009/05/31

curandero

Seu Feliciano showed his visions and paintings,
his heartfelt fields of reality, a magic world.

Feliciano's veins,
rivers of dreams and spirituality.

Feliciano Lana is a Desana Indigenous, a story teller,
a healer and a visual artist, living in São Gabriel da Cachoeira,
beside the Rio Negro river, at Amazonas state.

2009/04/26

burn it blue

Free market, at São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas.

The Negro River doesn't have a generous offer of fishes, and the people living at São Gabriel, almost 1000 km far from Manaus, still receive a lot of needs from this city. A long journey by boat that takes 4 to 7 days.

In the free market is possible to find a few fresh things, like fish, flour, cassava, some local fruits... but food can be a hard thing. In this city where mostly of the population (99%) are indigenous people, they've been serious afraid about climate changes. The river was too high to start working on the plantations, the fish are poor, and a single can of milk costs at least $5 dollars, when you can find it.

2009/04/22

one third

one third, originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

In the next 20 years, the amount of water available for each person
in the world will be reduced by one third.
Today we have 6.5 billion people in the world, and of these,
2 billion have no access to drinking water.
In Brazil, 22 million people lack access to drinking water.

Rio Negro (Black River), Amazonas -Brasil.

2009/04/21

behind us

Rio Negro (Black River), Amazonas -Brasil.

2009/04/16

melted time

Waters cross borders, linking us together.

Last February, Rio Negro has reached the highest level in 106 years.
Everything were under water.

Rio Negro (Black River), Amazonas -Brasil.

2009/03/24

day dreaming

A few weeks working in Amazonas made me dreaming
more than all those years of wait and wishes to be there.

Rio Negro (Black River), Amazonas -Brasil.