On 9th and 10th September 2023, the Rainforest organization (AFV), accompanied by donors, was invited to the Kuarup ceremony alongside the chief Tapi Yawalapiti.
This sacred ritual, fundamental to the mourning process of the indigenous peoples of High Xingu, aims to honour and perpetuate the memory of deceased chiefs and free their souls for their passage to the spiritual world. This year, the ceremony honoured the memory of Tepori, the great matriarch of the High Xingu community and grandmother of the current chief Tapi Yawalapiti.
During this ceremony, each deceased person honoured during the ritual is represented by a painted and decorated wooden trunk called a kuarup (from which the ceremony takes its name). On this occasion, dances, songs, offerings and fights take place between the different tribes gathered together. The end of the ceremony is marked by the throwing of the decorated trunks into the river as a farewell gesture. This gesture concludes the community's period of mourning.
The AFV had the opportunity to welcome some of its French donors to meet the indigenous communities of TIX, including the Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse.
For more information, check the Aritana institute on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CupkkecgiLp/
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