Guia Cultural da Costa Verde

Paraty • Paraty-Mirim

ALDEIA PARATY-MIRIM

Indigenous culture side by side with modernity

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This village settled on land close to Paraty currently adds up to 36 families with roughly 180 people. They raise beans, corn, manioc, sweet potatoes, sugarcane and greens for their own use. Its leader is the cacique or head man Miguel, Caraítatatin (man in the clouds) in the tupi-guarani language. In 2014 he was 113 years of age, and has eight offspring and a number of grandchildren. A feast was held for this commemoration, attended by family members from São Paulo and Santa Catarina, who celebrated with spiritual songs and forró, a popular rhythm, which everybody enjoyed.

The village includes the Guarani Tava Mirim state school that houses a library, computer and applies a method of learning traditional subjects in the native guarani language. Music lessons are much appreciated and the young people learn to play the violin and guitar from their early days. As in the majority of Indian communities, children are very well treated, and in turn respect their elders very much.

Guarani handicrafts are very well known owing to multicolored basketwork, yet there many other handcrafted items such as accessories made with beads and feathers plus animals carved in wood, on sale in the village and in shops and streets in the historical town center, in particular on weekends.

A paved road provides access to the village. The native inhabitants are pleased to welcome visitors, but previous scheduling is required in order to agree on tours and prices. During the guided tour that lasts approximately two hours, a brief introductory explanation is given followed by the village’s routine activities, the indigenous culture and diversified handicrafts. A musical performance with young people singing to the sound of violins and guitars is also included in the tour, which in the future aims to include target practice with bows and arrows.

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