We visited the Waujá village of Ulupuwene last week and saw community-led projects like a native plant nursery, traditional house rebuilding, and fire brigade —initiatives rooted in 21+ years of partnership with Indigenous leaders.

#IndigenousLeadership #Xingu #Wauja #AmazonConservation

AWauja man from the Xingu region of Brazil is washing in a river with his headdress of bird feathers. For the Wauja, the feathers of birds are their ‘clothing.’ After being killed, the birds are ‘undressed’ (plucked). Their plumes, having become ‘leftovers,’ will go to make up one or more adornments, mixing feathers from different birds, in compliance with the patterns of visual composition. On human beings, the feather adornments conceptually approximate clothing. Featherwork is an essential element in rituals.

For the Wauja, the feathers of birds are their clothing. Featherwork and body painting are expressions of beauty that contribute decisively to the production of joy in the rituals.
#Brazil #xingu #wauja #feathers #adornments #rituals #tribal #washing #portrait