Shawãdawa Snuff

The Macaw People

The Shawãdawa people are a community that has been present in Amazonian grounds for several ages now, whose history and customs have greatly contributed to the extraordinary diversity and complexity of indigenous traditions and culture throughout the Brazilian territory.

The etymology of their name carries the meaning of Macaw (Shawã) and Family (Dawa), and other variations of their communities assigned name include Araranás (Arara meaning Macaw in Brazilian Portuguese), Xawanáua, Ararapina, and Tachinauás, among others, and the language spoken by them originates itself in the Pano linguistic group, which spreads itself across Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia.

Like several other communities, dismally and sadly, their traditions have been hindered in the past due to, mainly, exploitation of territories and repression of customs by groups that sought the riches present in the land that had belonged to indigenous peoples.

Yet over recent years, the Shawãdawa have been working on reverting the cultural deprivation suffered by the younger generations, focusing especially on reclaiming their language and passing down customs, lore, and rites that were nearly appropriated away from their own, and although there is still much to recover and work on, inspiring progress has been made as the rights to an enlargement of the territory that rightfully belongs to the Shawãdawa has been won back by the community.

Shawãdawa Rapé Snuff

In Shawãdawa culture and language, Rapé (indigenous shamanic snuff) is referred to as Rupusuty, a word which also evokes the idea of the study of medicinal plants that offer spiritual strength and the power to heal physical ailments of any degree. The practice of taking Rupusuty is just as sacred as in countless other traditions, and it demands immense respect and deep knowledge of all aspects of the production process and the following rites and diets that go into making use of this traditional medicine.

It is the sort of tradition that the elders of the Shawãdawa community have been passing down to their descendants, hoping to immortalize revered knowledge and appreciation for their ancestry, along with rituals involving Sinbu (Ayahuasca) as well.

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Take a look at others sacred snuffs!

There is a wide variety of Rapé mixtures used by indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin, and exploring them can offer insight into the diverse cultural heritage and traditions of these communities.

Each Rapé has its unique blend of plants, herbs, ashes, and other natural substances, which are carefully selected and combined according to specific traditions and beliefs.