04 Dec Canopée team visits Mutum Village in Acre to map projects

The trip provides an immersion in local culture and customs and shows us how the company's initiatives can contribute to the village's development

In a magical corner of the so-called “Acrean Amazon” (located in Acre), on the banks of the majestic Gregório River, lies Mutum Village, home to the Yawanawá indigenous people. The Canopée team visited the region to learn more about the reality of those who live there and the opportunities for sustainable development that our projects can provide for the community. One of the main challenges there is logistics, so we already knew that it would be urgent to bring infrastructure to the location.

On this first visit, Canopée always maps out and understands which initiatives would be necessary to contribute to the region, such as educational projects, food cultivation, waste disposal and training, always respecting local culture and customs. We received support from Sebrae/AC, which accompanied us and has been an essential partner in our studies to identify areas that will receive our initiatives. The goal is to boost the bioeconomy and sustainability, connecting production chains to inclusive and fair markets.

Challenges

The journey to reach the indigenous land begins in Rio Branco, the capital of Acre, and takes almost three days. To get to the village, we rented a 4x4 truck and even so it took us about 9 hours to get from Rio Branco to Tarauacá. The potholes on the road were so extensive that the 350 km trip became an odyssey.

The next day, we needed another truck to take us to Vila São Vicente, on the banks of the BR-364, 86 kilometers away. From there, we boarded small canoes and sailed for about 6 hours to finally reach the village of Mutum. It is important to mention that, although there is internet access in Tarauacá and in the village of Mutum, everything is very far away and the journey depends on the conditions of the river.

Local economy

In the village, women take care of household chores, while men fish. This beauty, however, also presents great challenges in terms of transportation, especially during low-water periods, when rafts (branches and trunks swept away by the current during floods) are exposed, requiring extreme caution.

Aware that their ancestral culture was under threat, the Yawanawás adopted tourism as a way to preserve their traditions and involve young people in protecting their threatened territory.

We identified opportunities to generate community businesses in the production chains in “Yawanawa medicine”, extracted from nature itself, and in local crafts, seeking to understand how we can contribute to strengthening Yawanawá culture and promoting sustainable development.

Our experience

During our stay, we were hosted in a shared dormitory, where we rested in hammocks. However, there are also dormitories and specific spaces for visitors who wish to immerse themselves for a longer period of time. The village has a communal kitchen, where typical dishes such as banana, tapioca and cassava are served. However, it is also possible to bring our own supplies, such as traditional rice.

The village has electricity and Wi-Fi access, although its use is not encouraged, in order to truly experience the routine of the forest and the benefits of ancient lifestyles. It is important to note that tourists must be invited by the community and have complete freedom to participate or not in the rituals.

The Yawanawás (yawa/jaw; nawa/people) are a group belonging to the Pano linguistic family, who currently occupy the Rio Gregório Indigenous Land. Unlike many Amazonian peoples scattered across several locations, the Yawanawás live in a single territory, where they maintain their own culture and language.

The celebration of life is punctuated by healing and purification rituals, where herbal baths and captivating songs guide us in a dance that transports us to states of peace and lightness. A celebration that involves dance, artistic expression, cultural and spiritual manifestation, all intertwined in the vibrant tapestry of Yawanawá life.

At the end of the journey, it is time to return home and begin studying to begin projects. We will soon share more news here. Be sure to follow along!