Shanenawa Village, Brazil
We are in the Amazon region of Acre, about 370 km from the capital, Rio Branco.
In the municipality of Feijó lies one of the villages of the Shanenawa people. The Shanenawa are the "People of the Blue Bird"—"shane" means blue bird, and "nawa" means people.
The history of the Shanenawa people is similar to that of many Indigenous peoples of Acre. In the early 20th century, they were victims of the occupation of the region for rubber extraction—a violent period during which they were forbidden to speak their native language and live according to their traditions.
After many displacements, the Shanenawa managed to reestablish themselves in the Katukina/Kaxinawá Indigenous Land, near the Envira River. Fortunately, many of them never forgot their native language and were able to pass it down to future generations, keeping their traditions alive.
"Shava," the first word they taught me, means light, clarity, understanding. It makes me reflect on how much knowledge was lost in the process of what we now call "civilization." It is time to bring to light what has remained enchanted in the Forest.
Shava Shava.
