Art and Life on the Upper Amazon Xingu River - September 1995

Art and Life on the Upper Amazon Xingu River - September 1995

The indigenous Maynaco people of the Upper Xingu River in the Amazon held an exhibition at Chidorigafuchi, Tokyo, to introduce their culture and lifestyle. The exhibit, which ran from September 14 to October 22, 1995, featured artwork depicting their daily lives, with the theme of their traditional way of life and coexistence with the environment. Of particular note were the wood carvings and dyed textile works that expressed their unique view of nature. These works were created using materials and techniques obtained through their ongoing sustainable lifestyles, and demonstrate the importance they place on coexistence with the environment.

More about the indigenous Maynaco people
The Maynaco are an indigenous people living in the upper reaches of the Singu River in Brazil, with a population estimated to be in the hundreds. They live in a rich natural environment, hunting, gathering, and farming. They mainly cultivate corn and cassava, utilizing traditional slash-and-burn farming methods. Fishing and fruit gathering also form the basis of their livelihood.

The society of the Maynaco people is formed around their own religious ceremonies and festivals, and handicrafts such as wood carving and dyeing and weaving play an important role, especially in ceremonial occasions. Their artwork is characterized by rich colors and unique designs based on the flora and fauna of the natural world and mythological spiritual beings. These works serve as symbols of cultural identity and are passed on to future generations.

The Maynaco people have also attracted attention from an environmental perspective. Their way of life is based on the sustainable use of natural resources, and they have accumulated wisdom on how to maintain forest and river ecosystems. In recent years, development and deforestation in the Amazon region have seriously affected their way of life, and their knowledge and experience are important in international environmental protection activities.

Content of Relevant Sources
The organizers of the exhibition aimed to communicate the cultural values and environmental awareness of the Maynaco people, as well as to educate them about environmental issues in the Amazon region. The exhibition catalog describes in detail their lifestyle and rituals, and explains how they obtained the wood and dyes used, as well as the processing process. Through the exhibition, attention was also drawn to the impact of deforestation in the Amazon on the Maynaco people, and the importance of environmental protection was stressed.

Furthermore, newspaper articles of the time reported that the exhibition promoted cultural exchange between Japan and the Amazon and increased Japanese interest in the protection of indigenous people's rights and environmental conservation activities. After the exhibition, related seminars and lectures were held to discuss the current situation and sustainable development in the Amazon region.