Exploring the Yawanawá culture and community

Q&A with Luna Rosa Soriano Yawanawá

Explore the Yawanawá culture and community through this Q&A with Luna Rosa Soriano Yawanawá, WILD’s Yawanawá Cultural Liaison Intern.

Tell us more about the Yawanawá culture and community? What is its history?

The Yawanawá reside in the Indigenous land of the Gregório River in the state of Acre. Our people have a long history marked by great struggle and survival.

The Yawanawá have a rich history as a warrior tribe; such that many Indigenous groups sought to join the Yawanawá community through marriage. Consequently, numerous marriage proposals were made. Additionally, due to their frequent engagement in warfare, the Yawanawá ended up having slaves until recently. In fact, my great-grandmother was the last known Yawanawá slave. Interestingly, the Yawanawá were never enslaved by others. When the Incas attempted to attack and enslave our people, the Yawanawá, who bore a striking resemblance to the Incas in appearance, would eliminate the invaders and don their clothing as a disguise. This cunning tactic consistently deceived the Incas, who never suspected a thing.

Original version:

Os yawanawa vivem na terra indigena do rio gregorio, do estado do Acre, o nosso povo desde muito tempo tem sido marcado de grande luta e sobrevivencia.

Os yawanawa sempre foi um povo guerreiro tanto que muitos povos indigenas desejavam fazer parte da comunidade yawanawa por meio do casamento, entao havia muitas propostas de casamento. Tambem os yawanawa por guerrar muito acabavam tendo escravos ate um tempo atras minha bisavo foi a ultima escrava – Ja os yawanawa nunca foram escravizados por ninguem, quando os incas vinham para atacar e escravizar o nosso povo por serem muito parecidos de aparencia eles o matavam e vestiam suas roupas para disfarcar. Os incas nunca desconfiavam de nada.

Exploring the Yawanawa culture and community 2

What is the truth behind who the Yawanawá are?

The truth behind who we are reveals a cheerful and hospitable people, playful people. We are a warrior people who are at peace with their lives. The Yawanawá are deeply connected to family, as our unique characteristic is unity. Yawanawá signifies the people of the peccary, who thrive in groups, and when alone, they become weak, but together, they are powerful.

Original version:

A verdade por tras de quem somos é um povo alegre e recepcionista, um povo brincalhao, Temos um povo guerreiro que esta bem de vida. Os yawanawa estao muito ligado a familia, ja que uma caracteristica unica de uniao. O yawanawa siginifica o povo da queixada que vivem em bando e quando estao sozinho tornam-se fracos, mas juntos é poderoso.

What are some of the misconceptions that people have about the Yawanawá?

The first misconception revolves around people believing that the Yawanawá cannot defend themselves. Another misconception doubts the Yawanawá’s capacity for resilience.

The Yawanawá have a history of fighting for survival as a people who preserve their language, cultural expressions, and spiritual practices. After nearly disappearing from the map in the 1980s, the Yawanawá emerged once more to reclaim what is rightfully theirs: their land, language, and culture, with a particular emphasis on their identity. This makes them a unique people characterized by unity, strength, and the ability to rise from nothing, proudly affirming themselves as a people proud of their culture and identity.

Original version:

O primeiro equivoco ;e sobre as pessoas crerem que os yawanawa nao sabem se defender Outro duvidar da capacidade de superacao dos yawanawa.

Os yawanawa tem um historico de luta para sobreviver como um povo que preserva sua lingua, sua manifestações culturais e espirituais depois de quase desaparecer do mapa na decada de 80, os yawanawa ressurgem novamente para reclamar o que e seu por direito como sua terra, sua lingua e sua cultura principalmente sua identidade. Isto os torna um povo unico de caractetiristaca de unicao, poder e ressurgir do nada e se afirmar como um povo orgulhoso da sua cultura e sua identidade.

Why is it important for people to understand the truth about the community and their independence?

The Yawanawá have been fighting since the 1970s to become more independent of the surrounding society; for that, they have pursued new knowledge, which has led them to either affirm their traditional wisdom or conciliate this newfound knowledge with their traditional mindset.

Our history isn’t confined to the past; our history is in the present and we are determined to keep fighting as an Indigenous people pursuing their self-determination.

Original version:

Os yawanawa vem lutando desde a decada de 70 para se torna mais idendepente da spciedade involvente para isso tem buscado novos conhecimentos e se afimridado com seu conhecimento tradcionais ou conciliando com conhecimento tradiciopnao e moderno. A nossa historia nao faz parte do passado, a nossa historia e o presente e queremosn continuar lutando como um povo indigena em busca de sua autoderminacao.

Exploring the Yawanawa culture and community 3

Could you share a story about the power of the Yawanawá culture and community?

The Yawanawá people hold the Mariri Yawanawa every year, a week filled with singing and dancing, healing and art, artistic expression, and cultural and spiritual manifestations. It occurs once a year in our Indigenous land and is now considered the largest cultural event in the Amazon. We host people from all over the world that come to witness this sacred celebration.

During this week, culture unites everyone in a single thought, in a single idea, in a single spirit. All Yawanawá people pause their daily activities to pay homage to Yawanawá culture. Our songs break the forest’s silence, the rhythmic steps of over two thousand feet shake the dust off the ground, and the echoes of our voices resonate through our forest. Culture is not only present in our generation but also in the generations to come. It’s a moment to reaffirm our cultural and spiritual values.

Original version:

Os yawanawas realizam todos os anos o mariri yawanawa é uma semana de cantos e dancas, cura e arte, expressao artísticas e manifestações culturais e espiritual que acontece uma vez ao ano na terra indigena e hoje em dia e condsiderado maior evento cultural na amazônia. Nos recebemmos pessoas do mundo todo para prestigiar esta festa sagrada. Nesta semana a cultura une todos em um so pensamento, em uma só ideia, em um so espirito. Todos os yawanawa param a suas atividades para fazer um culto a cultura yawanawa. Os nossos cantos cortam o silencio da floresta, a batida de mais dois mil pes sacodem a poera do terreiro, o eco de nossas vozes balancam a nossa floresta e a cultura esta presente na nossa geração e nas proximas geracoes. E um momento de recobrar nossos valores culturais e espirituais.

Learn more about our work with the Yawanawá community.

Translated with the help of Mário David Xavier

2 Comments

  1. Kathryn Haber

    Thank you for sharing your community’s story. Love Laura & Tashka!
    Love to the headwaters of the Amazon!

    Reply
  2. Robert Pahl

    I’m curious about the Yawanawa way to prepare a body and spirit to cross over to the other side, pre and burial protocols.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Share This