An article on Common Dreams describes how two Amazonian indigenous communities, who were mortal enemies half a century ago, are coming together this January to collaborate together on a project of historical preservation. A team of indigenous and non-indigenous filmmakers is showing historic archival footage of the ancestors taken by outsiders almost a century ago. The project aims to facilitate remembrances by the elders, which then are being filmed by the young filmmakers.
Also interesting is how the young people of many tribes are communicating and friending each other using the latest new media tools:
With increased literacy in Portuguese (the national language of Brazil), improved Google Translate and other translation tools (allowing access to websites in other languages), and increased access to the internet (both in their rainforest communities and at internet kiosks in communities bordering the rainforest), young indigenous Brazilians are developing an awareness of themselves as indigenous people with both a local community identity and an identity that encompasses all indigenous people everywhere.
Like young multi-racial people in the United States, who now can proudly acknowledge the many parts of their cultural background on the federal census, Amazonian indigenous youth are using multiple indigenous names, displaying cultural markers from multiple linguistic and ethnic communities, and friending other young people – including those who are members of groups that might have been mortal enemies just a generation ago.
More after the jump.
As we start a new year with conflict in so many parts of the world, this piece offers some hope:
It's hard to know what effect this single encounter will have on the Wauja and Ikpeng communities. But, if historic enemies can lay aside their weapons and use new avenues for communication and understanding to connect with their shared past, then maybe peace is possible in other parts of the world as well.
Here is more on the Return of the Captured Spirits project. Happy 2012 to one and all!