The indigenous people of the Munduruku

The indigenous protected area of the Munduruku is located in the northern state of Pará in Brazil.

It covers 2,382,000 hectares and is home to over 6,500 indigenous people. They refer to themselves, for example, as "Wuyiuyu" (ours) or "Bebengokre - Kaiapo" (group of people).

Together with the Munduruku, who also live outside the protected area, it is a tribe of around 14,000 people (SESAI, as of 2014). They are still fighting with all their might to preserve their homeland. For example, the Munduruku were able to successfully prevent a dam project on the Rio Tapajos and are committed to protecting their territory.

Children of the Munduruku with traditional feather ornaments

Tradition and culture

Living in harmony with nature

The Munduruku live in close contact with nature and see themselves as part of the great jungle organism. They are taught the history of the people, cosmology and traditional medicine

History

The indigenous people have the nickname "Caras Pretas" (black face) due to their strong painting on face and body, based on the natural color "Jenipapo", which turns black on the skin. The Mururuku emphasized their reputation as courageous, strategic and merciless warriors by collecting the heads of their enemies. Today, this tradition is no longer common.

Until the 19th century, the Munduruku culturally dominated the entire region between the Tapajós and Madeira rivers due to the occupation of foreign territories such as that of the Parentitins. At that time, the region was also known as "Mundurukânia". The traditional villages of the region were located in the "fields of Tapajós", the savannah region in the middle of the Amazon forest. Today, they inhabit forest regions on the banks of the tributaries of the Tapajós River in over 120 villages.

After the first contact with non-indigenous immigrants, which was initially characterized by peaceful trade of raw materials for tools and the like, the people were forced to defend their rapidly shrinking territory against rubber plantations and gold seekers.

The natural color Jenipapo dyes the skin black

Cultural center and faith

Their cultural center is the sacred place "Krepuchá". According to the belief, as Chief Poxo Babuy told us, there was a wise man at this place who freed the Munduruku from the earth in which they had lived until then. He also accompanied them in their battle with the Parentintins and gave them this place to live after successfully taking over the land.

After that, he would have left them by going to heaven, as indicated by a footprint on the sacred rock. It is a place in the middle of the dense jungle, where large stones on the wide river swirl up the water, which is revered here as holy. This is where the souls of the deceased chiefs and shamans would go to stay with their people.

Food and sustenance

The Munduruku practice agriculture with, for example, the ubiquitous, healthy manioc and bananas, coconut palms or açaí, they keep chickens, go hunting and fishing.

Like many indigenous people, the Munduruku also make magnificent feather jewelry for every day and for festivals. The caps are based on the layer between the bark and pith of a particular tree, which is also used to make baby slings. Children are also decorated in this way. The colors of the jewelry indicate the affiliation to one of the two groups of Munduruku: yellow-white for one, blue-yellow for the other.

A childhood in the middle of the jungle

The jungle is a big playground. Every child is given an animal as soon as they can walk. It has to look after its welfare independently and from now on it accompanies the child everywhere. School often takes place in blocks many villages away. During this time, the children stay with relatives or at the school and are looked after there.

TARGET's dispensaries help the Munduruku to live self-sufficiently in their ancestral forest and protect it. Targeted support can be provided for conservation and other dispensaries.

Facts and figures about the Munduruku

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