Guia Cultural da Costa Verde

Angra dos Reis • Bracuí

ALDEIA SAPUKAI

Frugality as a lifestyle

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Aldeia Sapukai is located 6 km from the BR-101 highway in the district of Bracuí, in a mountainous area surrounded by the Atlantic Coast Rainforest, and currently numbers 420 guarani Indian members divided into 80 families.

The village is headed by the captivating cacique or head man João da Silva Vera Mirim, who at age 101 and having plenty of wisdom still finds some of the white men’s customs odd. Being used to living from nature and finding food and medicinal herbs in the earth, he explained that on the day of entering a supermarket for the first time he was bewildered, unsure as to what was food. He is also the pajé or medicine man and describes ingenuously that “when an Indian feels ill he goes into the woods, picks plants and prepares an infusion. He prays and drinks this as he wishes. He is then cured. White man’s medicine, always at the right time and at times it does not cure.” Besides preparing medicine, the pajé is also in charge of choosing the names of children. And as a psychologist, he listens and encourages an extended conversation before his emitting wise recommendations.

The houses in the village are simple and the chief crops are cassava, potatoes, bananas and palm hearts from the pupunha, açaí and juçara palms, for consumption by the inhabitants. Pure water from springs gave rise to a small pond to raise tilapia fish.

Almost everybody in the village is bilingual, but among themselves they speak in tupi-guarani. The teacher Argemiro Caraimirim (little wise man in their language) teaches Portuguese and other subjects in the local Guarani Karaí Kuery Renda school.

Music is much appreciated by the Indians. They have a choir and most of the young people play guitars and fiddles, a kind of rudimentary violin. Dancing is also part of their customs and several are specific for boys only, others only for girls and still others for grown-ups.

Guarani handicrafts are an ancient tradition, much to the liking of tourists and a means of making a living. It is impossible not to be attracted by colorful baskets, bows and arrows, necklaces, bracelets and small animals carved in wood, made before our eyes.

Electricity was installed as late as 2006, and a number of partnerships were created for projects in the village, with training of the local inhabitants in certain activities as a source of income. Among these, the highlights are a bakery and home-made paper. The current means of obtaining cash are sales of handicrafts, guided tours and performances during special events, either in the village or elsewhere.

Scheduled visitors are welcome and will be guided throughout the village, with dancing and musical performances and including a dip, if the weather permits, in the inviting falls by the Bracuí river.

It is gratifying to see the nhandereko, the guarani way of life, and the customs of this friendly group of people, who are also Brazilian and deserve our respect.

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