Práticas funerárias e suas transformações nos últimos 70 anos entre os Wai Wai do Mapuera

Abstract

I intend to describe the changes in the funeral practices of the Wai wai people from the arrival of the protestant missionaries in the 1940s. This research was realized through interviews with some of the elders of Aldeia Mapuera, who hold this knowledge. In the end I intend to ponder on the factors that led to changes in funeral practices in the last 70 years. I intend to address the importance of funerary contexts to understand the culture and history of the Wai Wai. It is important to know what is the concept of death for the Wai Wai people to understand their culture, since death is feared by these Indians. As a member of this people, I have chosen to approach this subject because I realize that it is linked to many actions of everyday life. Despite the existence of the evangelical religion there is still a diversity of beliefs among the people, such as suspicions about witchcraft. This data is important for the present study because it influenced the way people treated the body after death. With the arrival of the protestants came the prohibition to burn the corpses. The burials then began to be made inside the houses. The intention was to avoid the theft of body parts to cast a spell.