Amidst rays of late afternoon sunlight illuminating the forest along a small stream, the Awá Guajá people celebrated the launch of a collection of songs that chronicle their culture, way of life, relationship with nature, and ancestry. The collection Karawa Janaha was born from a desire of the people who live in the Caru and Awa Indigenous Lands.
The material highlights the cultural heritage of the Awá Guajá and their knowledge, preserved with resilience in the face of threats such as deforestation, logging, and wildfires. The songs are like mantras that convey a connection with a multitude of spiritual beings, everyday events, and dialogues between humans and ancestors.
The production brings together sound recordings and two volumes written with songs sung in the language of the Karawara—spiritual beings and ancestors of the Awá Guajá people who communicate with the material world through song. These songs are not in the Awá Guajá language, but rather in an "other" spiritual language, expressing the Indigenous people's close connection with the invisible world.
"We organize songs within the forest to share our knowledge, our reality. For everyone to know us. Music is for hunting pigeons, wild pigeons, and gathering honey. We feel the strength of the Karawara spirit. Music brings the spirit of nature to strengthen our land." reports Amiri Awá Guajá, from the Caru Indigenous Land.
The project was the result of a collective effort, with recordings made in the Awá, Cachoeira, Juriti, and Tiracambu villages. The work was coordinated by an interdisciplinary team comprised of experts: linguist Marina Magalhães of the University of Brasília (UnB), anthropologist Uirá Garcia of the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), and ethnomusicologist Yasuhiro Morinaga. The project is based on the Basic Environmental Plan for the Indigenous Component of the Carajás Railroad Expansion, managed by Vale SA and implemented by the Institute of Society, Population, and Nature (ISPN). within the scope of the Cultural Strengthening Subprogram.
"These publications will go to Awá schools. They are very proud of their culture and want to share it with non-Indigenous people. They are a recently contacted people who face many challenges. In their songs, they express their cosmology and life wisdom.", says the coordinator of the ISPN Institutional Strengthening Subprogram, Suely Dias Cardoso.
The collection Karawa Janaha: the song of the Karawara is a milestone in the preservation and appreciation of the Awá Guajá culture, connecting tradition, spirituality and resistance through music.
Rituals in the forest of Aldeia Tiracambu
The Awá Guajá sing in various everyday situations: before dawn, to greet the sun and the new day; at night, to lull children to sleep; during hunting trips and when interacting with forest spirits; in moments of sadness or joy. All songs are taught by the Karawara and reveal aspects of eating habits, hunting techniques, and ways of protecting the forest and their own existence. The rituals are performed primarily in the summer as a celebration dedicated to the forest. In the Awá Guajá culture, the ritual allows the spirits to leave the warmth of the sky on earth.
"Our singing is very important to us, because it shows our ritual, how we preserve our land and strengthen our culture. It is our resistance as a people." says young Kwarahyaxa Awá Guajá, from Aldeia Tiracambu, Caru Indigenous Land.
The ritual that marked the launch of the collection of songs in the Caru Indigenous Land took place in a carefully cleared patch of forest to accommodate relatives and non-Indigenous people. In the center, a shelter with an opening at the top was built, allowing for a connection with celestial beings. The songs, without the use of musical instruments, require vocal strength and delicate dance movements. Adornments such as headdresses and bracelets are also part of the ritual. Upon entering the ambush, the Awá spirit travels to the sky (oho iwá pe), where it meets its ancestors. In this open channel between earth and sky, the Karawara descend and clothe the traveler's body.
In the ritual, indigenous women play an important role. By chanting, they serve as guides for the human spirit to return to the earth. "While in heaven, they travel long distances, meeting villages of other celestial beings, other spirits. The voices of their wives, sisters, and daughters serve to guide them back," explains anthropologist Uirá Garcia.
The Karawara are spirits who live in the celestial realms and are considered the owners of animals, insects, and birds. They are perfect hunters and celestial shamans. For the Awá culture, they represent the destiny of every human being (awatea) after death—ancestral spirits, already dwelling in heaven.
The recording of songs (janaha) also represents the blossoming of political activism, the resistance of a people who are guardians of natural resources, and the concern for keeping traditions alive. It is a reaffirmation of awareness of their own culture and the importance of preserving it.
"This initiative being presented here seeks to value indigenous culture, in this case, that of the Awá Guajá people. They are the ones who protect our environment. Historically and culturally, the best-preserved places are those inhabited by indigenous people," says ISPN executive coordinator, Fábio Vaz.
As the sun nearly set, the Awá Guajá singers silenced their songs. It was time to close the gates of heaven and let the Karawara return to the "perfect world." In their own way, they bid farewell to the non-Indigenous people and continued into the forest to find their earthly experiences.
The songs can be heard on Spotify:
Karawa Janaha – The Song of the Karawara 1 – in the Awá Village profile
Karawa Janaha – The Song of the Karawara 2 – in the profile of Aldeia Juriti
Karawa Janaha – The Song of Karawara 3 – in the profile of Aldeia Tiracambu
Report originally published in ECO21.