Utxi, Yawatume’s husband, stands as a beacon for the preservation and continuation of the Yawanawá traditions.
From a tender age, he was taken under Nani’s tutelage, absorbing the depth and breadth of their ancestral knowledge.
As one of Nani’s most dedicated and promising students, Utxi has not only imbibed these traditions but has become a vanguard for them.
Many in the community foresee him stepping into the esteemed role of Professor for the upcoming generation, a demonstration of his unwavering commitment and deep understanding.
Beyond his dedication to tradition, Utxi is a maestro in his own right, displaying an exceptional prowess in Yawanawá music.
His role is pivotal; he bridges the past with the future, ensuring that the rich tapestry of the Yawanawá culture remains vibrant and enduring for generations to come.
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Colloquium Presentation: 29 May 2024
Reconnecting with Ancestral Wisdom: A Conversation with the Yawanawá
Abstract
The Yawanawá come from the Acre region of Brazil, they are renowned for beautiful musical and powerful plant medicine tradition. They are now looking at ways of preserving their native language, once reduced to only fifty native speakers, now expanding again. The three we welcome here are Schaneihu, Yawatume, and Utxi. Shaneihu has been trained by his elders and proficient and providing the medicine of song. Yawatume is also trained by a pajé (shaman) and steeped in the tradition. Her husband, Utxi, is also trained in the musical and medicinal traditions. They will talk and perhaps sing about their medicines, including ‘Uni’, referred to in the lingua franca now as by the cover-all ‘Ayahuasca’ in the West, their relationship the land, and their history with a colonist past.