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Friday, December 6, 2013

...Tribal Travelogue……Part 4 of 4 ...

Another early morning, 7:30 a.m. and we were up for preparation of the recording.  We arrived again at the mango tree and the band was led back to the house where they did the ritual painting.  Today would be the Wanaridobe, or Godfather's chant.  Each member received the customary bracelets and necklace, but this time the entire body was painted and the face as well.  Each person was painted differently.  I also received a bit of face paint, I couldn't resist.  

A dance with the Indians joining hands with the band was conducted, this time in the hot sun, not under the mango trees.  This was done for visual purpose only.  

The recording is next; and it did not take as much time as before.  Ross believed at this time he had compiled enough on tape. 

Afterwards the band played Kaiowas to the Indians, honoring their request to hear Sepultura.  When they finished, the Indians chant "dure," which means one more, or encore.  They honorably played it one more time, with Max adding some screams.

Sepultura then spoke with some of the musicians in a sit down interview.  Sepultura asked the tribe members about their music and were asked questions back , about their tattoos, long hair and general appearance. 

Our video director, during all of this, went up in an airplane, removed the door, and got some great aerial footage.  The rest of us went back to the schoolhouse to pack and have lunch.  

me tatting kid

Me with the badass Xavantes dude, my friend
When all was done, we returned to the mango trees for one last ceremony.  Once again, they filed past us saying their goodbyes, and presenting us with wonderful gifts of jewelry, purses, headgear, and feathers.  Our emotions soared, we felt we had come so close to these wonderful people.

Max, Me, Andreas, Severia and tribe.
I asked Angela why some of the people had their heads shaved and learned that when a family member dies, the entire family shaves their head as a show of mourning.  It seems that the first recognized death of cancer had occurred.  The white man's sickness have been creeping in, little by little, since their first contact 50 years ago.  

We had learned so much from these simple people.  How little they have and so much we have.  To do a simple task like go to a doctor took a 250 mile walk!

Airplane landing strip

Max and Me on the plane
As we flew through time, back to our present lives, we could only hope that this little community will survive against all odds this world has stacked up against them, and we prayed to return again. 
at the hotel in Goiânia, Brasil, about to fly home.


Class Dismissed...