h4. Tens of hundreds of individuals tuned in to Davi’s reside ‘Ask Me Something’ session on the web site Reddit, the place he answered questions from members of the general public about shamanism, rainforest life, racism and the portrayal of the Yanomami individuals as ‘violent’ by anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon and others.
The complete Q&A is obtainable on Reddit. Learn excerpts under.
Davi Kopenawa: Olá Reddit! My title is Davi Kopenawa. I reside within the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, in a village referred to as Watoriki, or ‘the windy mountain.’ I’m a shaman and spokesperson for the Yanomami, the most important comparatively remoted tribe in South America.
I’m in San Francisco, California with the group Survival Worldwide for a sequence of talks concerning the marketing campaign to demarcate Yanomami territory and the significance of preserving the Amazon for all of humanity. Fiona Watson, Survival’s analysis director, will probably be translating my solutions from Portuguese.
h4. Are you able to inform us somewhat concerning the historical past of Watoriki or of the Yanomami?
Watoriki is a really huge, tall mountain. We name this mountain Watoriki as a result of it means ‘the windy mountain’. The wind is all the time blowing across the group, in order that we breathe effectively – it’s totally clear air. We have lived there for a few years. We do not need to ever depart there. We all the time need our spherical home – yano, an emblem of the earth as a result of it is spherical – we all the time need to have our Yano there.
h4. What types of abilities did you be taught as a shaman?
I requested the oldest shaman to show me to develop into a shaman. So he ready what we name ‘yakoana’, and he advised me that it is not straightforward to be a shaman. He stated you could not eat, you could not take a shower, you can’t eat meat, no fish, you need to stay in silence, and you need to really feel starvation. The good shamans do not permit you to eat – you need to clear out all of your physique as a result of in our stomachs we have now rot. So you need to be on this state for weeks. It’s a must to put together your self – you need to have a look at all the opposite shamans. After which all of the shamans and the shamanic spirits arrive close to you. And the shamanic spirits reside in a really huge home – a shabono – and so they convey that with them to the shaman. Every spirit of the forest has a reputation, there are many completely different spirits – all of them arrive, after which the oldest shaman will present the spirits tips on how to work. The work of the spirits is to remedy, to heal individuals. So they may take the sickness. The shamans get them to hit the illness and eliminate the illness. So ‘xawara’, the dangerous spirit, falls onto the bottom. Then the shaman takes it and throws it very distant. Then the shaman cleans out the physique with particular water that he has – then the particular person is cured.
h4. Are the xapiri _[shamanic spirits]_ conscious that there’s a battle happening between those that are conscious of plant spirit and people who aren’t? The people who find themselves not conscious of plant spirit take no care of the planet. Do the xapiri know of a approach to assist individuals get up and understand the destruction of our planet is actual? We can’t do that with out their assist.
Sure. The xapiri are involved with a lot of completely different locations. They obtain messages and information that come from very distant. A shaman in a village will probably be receiving this information from very distant. They may know that there’s a lot of rain, or that it is changing into extremely popular in locations the place there isn’t any rain, that the rivers are getting offended, and that there will probably be a number of storms. The shamans in the neighborhood are receiving this information by way of the shamanic spirits from all world wide.
h4. Do you discover that there’s a lot of prejudice or racism in opposition to indigenous individuals?
Sure. Prejudice is in every single place. We discover it within the metropolis, in villages, in small communities. In truth, in every single place on the planet, you discover prejudice.
h4. What’s your favourite rainforest animal?
My favourite animals are the macaw, the parrot, and the eagle.
h4. What was your first expertise of the developed world like?
I left my group, Tototoobi, for the primary time. I went along with an worker of FUNAI (the Brazilian indigenous affairs group) and I arrived within the municipality of Barcelos. The primary time I noticed that place of electrical mild and the homes all collectively, crammed like matchboxes, and plenty of individuals strolling on the street, I felt a number of curiosity and I wished to get to know them. I believed, “Who’re these individuals? The place did they arrive from? How did they get right here?” That is what I believed on my first go to to town.
h4. Did you will have any detrimental emotions about cities like that? I.e., disbelief or pity that individuals lived like that? Or had been you simply intrigued by one other lifestyle?
I feel metropolis life may be very difficult. It is troublesome to reside within the metropolis for me as an indigenous particular person. I feel the remaining is sweet, it is good, nevertheless it’s good for the white individuals. It is your private home. I can solely keep about 5 or 6 days within the metropolis, after which I’ve to return to my shabono.
h4. After seeing the developed world, would you relatively keep in San Francisco than return to your village?
I want to return to the place I’m from. That is my place – it is the place I used to be born and that is the most effective place for me. Right here within the metropolis it is the land of the white individuals.
h4. Are there any luxuries or know-how from town that you’ll actually miss?
There’s know-how that might be helpful for the Yanomami. Know-how that isn’t contaminated is sweet. For examples, photo voltaic panels, which act like a battery receiving vitality from the solar. That is good for the communities, that helps us take care of our well being. Microscopes are good, and so are issues like toothpaste. Issues that you just use to look at your coronary heart are good. Additionally communications tools, like two-way radios. Right now our kids are studying to make use of computer systems to ship information to town from the group. Additionally they write up paperwork on the pc. For us indigenous peoples, these kinds of know-how are necessary.
h4. I’m an anthropology grad pupil and a supporter of Survival Worldwide. I’ve actually learn a wealth of literature relating to the Yanomami in my research and am very excited for this AMA. I’ve all the time puzzled about Survival Worldwide (and others prefer it in addition to anthropologists within the subject) and its true affect on the lives of these it seeks to help. Do lots of the communities (yours included in fact) really feel that they’re doing enough work? If not what do these communities really feel the group (or its members as people) might enhance upon with a view to assist educate different populations world wide.
The work of Survival is sweet work. They work very effectively defending indigenous peoples, and so they additionally shield the locations the place Indians reside. They unfold the phrase, they’re all the time giving a lot of information. That is the function of Survival, and it is excellent. Survival Worldwide was born due to the indigenous peoples. It is their trigger. It is distinctive. The non-Indian individuals who help indigenous peoples, they will help indigenous organizations of their initiatives.
h4. Pajé Kopenawa, good afternoon. I labored for an official organ of Human Rights alongside the Governo da Bahia, in Salvador a very long time in the past, and I have to say that each one of us Brazilians might have some extra respect concerning the indigenous individuals, not solely within the Amazon, however in the entire nation. I do not assume the federal government or the media let the individuals to be actually conscious of what is actually happening across the indigenous territories. In your opinion, what may very well be modified for FUNAI to work higher for you and what may very well be modified within the Brazilian media to assist the remainder of the individuals to grasp higher your individuals’s affair?
First the federal government itself has to alter. That is ranging from the highest of the federal government. Change the pinnacle of state, after which FUNAI can change to make its work higher for indigenous individuals. It is the federal authorities that helps FUNAI, and it has to worth FUNAI’s work and provides it cash, particularly for the indigenous territories that aren’t demarcated and to guard territories, that are already demarcated. FUNAI has to additionally shield the borders of indigenous territories to cease the invaders coming in. That’s what is required from FUNAI.
I feel the media do not like to speak concerning the issues in Brazil. In truth, they like to cover them, in order that different nations do not learn about them. It could be actually good if the TV, radio and web might ship out the true information in order that we might talk.
h4. Are you able to describe the hardships that your tribe and different remoted tribes have skilled within the Amazon by the hands of prospectors, poachers and loggers? With the frontier persevering with to devour the Amazon, do you assume the actually remoted and uncontacted tribes, such because the Arrow Individuals within the Vale do Javari, will survive long run into the long run?
We indigenous peoples, we always remember our worries as a result of the destruction is rising – the seek for gold and different minerals, the destruction of the forest for logging, and the non-indigenous inhabitants is getting greater. We’re fearful about this. So the place the indigenous peoples reside, just like the Yanomami, in reality it is not a number of land, it is small. The ranchers are coming there, the gold miners, rural employees, mining firms, and lots of different individuals who do not have land. Though our territory has been demarcated, it is not assured. So I am very fearful about our future.
I am additionally very fearful about our brothers and sisters who haven’t been contacted. Within the Yanomami space there are uncontacted individuals referred to as the Yawari. And on the higher Solimoes River there are different peoples who haven’t been contacted. All of them communicate completely different languages and are completely different peoples, however however they’ll undergo lots – that is my fear. There are not any non-Indians to defend them. FUNAI defends them, however FUNAI has no cash. They do not have plans, they do not have reliable individuals, and so they do not have the help of the federal government to offer them the cash with a view to defend the uncontacted individuals. So sooner or later they’ll undergo lots.
h4. Ideas on Napoleon Chagnon?
Napoleon Chagnon went to the Yanomami land to be taught with us, and to learn about our knowledge. Then he discovered to talk our Yanomami language, and he modified his concepts, and he determined to play a trick on us. He requested communities to battle amongst themselves, he incentivized preventing, in order that those that received within the fights would achieve merchandise – pans, knives, and so forth. That is how Napoleon Chagnon labored. Then he sat down together with his pen in his hand, saying that the Yanomami are violent. That’s completely not the case. What’s extra violent is the US, which has killed hundreds of individuals – youngsters, girls – and destroyed cities, throwing atomic bombs. He has a number of prejudice, Chagnon. He’s prejudiced in opposition to my Yanomami individuals. Who’s probably the most violent? Him. His individuals. Chagnon simply stated the Yanomami are violent with out explaining something. Some Yanomami, like different individuals, get offended. Each individuals on earth have their very own fights. Males get jealous about girls. Girls get jealous about their husbands. Some girls even beat their husbands. ALL human beings have this inside them.
h4. Hello Davi, there are some questions right here concerning the ‘developed world’, however what do you consider the form of growth that’s occurring within the Amazon?
I feel the event being completed by the white individuals is finished in the best way of the non-Indians. They like constructing highways and hydroelectric dams for vitality. They need to industrialize every thing. They need to construct nice highways to move issues – all of the minerals, wooden – to different nations. The non-Indians like to do that. That is very dangerous for the indigenous individuals. In a way, a few of it’s good – it brings in medication and tools for well being and well being groups who work with our communities. And airstrips assist the well being groups are available in to assist us. Then again it is not good. There are two paths, and the trail of well being is extra necessary, however the different highway is a big highway: the highway of sickness. It would convey a lot of issues. The roads usher in alcoholic drinks, and dangerous issues from town.
h4. How do you cease your self from getting depressed concerning the future (of the Amazon, of the world…)?
Once I’m within the metropolis, I get very unhappy as a result of I meet lots of people who speak concerning the destruction of the Amazon. I really feel even sadder once I hear about large-scale mining occurring all world wide in indigenous territories. These two issues make me very unhappy. We do not know tips on how to resolve this as a result of the authorities are all united collectively to destroy nature. There are only a few people who find themselves defending and preventing along with indigenous peoples. So on the one hand I really feel unhappy, however alternatively I really feel agency figuring out that there are different individuals who will battle, who will shield our forest, who will shield indigenous peoples. I additionally belief very a lot within the forces of nature and the work of the shamans. I do know that those that are destroying will undergo like we’re struggling afterwards. Nature provides me braveness in order that I am not unhappy on a regular basis.
Davi Kopenawa: I am leaving now, however I am sending you all a message, all of you right here: all of you who need to know the way we indigenous peoples live, you need to know whether or not we’re protected or not, I am saying that we’re protected a bit. We now have associates like Survival Worldwide, Rainforest Basis from Norway, CAFOD, FUNAI, the general public ministry, our indigenous organizations, like Hutukara Yanomami Affiliation, and lots of indigenous peoples who’re preventing collectively.
I am telling you this, so that you will be pleased figuring out this. However I need assistance from the individuals of the US. Maintain watching, and if you’d like, help the indigenous organizations in our initiatives, and it will assist preserve the Amazon rainforest. That is my message to you all. Obrigado.
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