2022
We had water. A lot of water. In the sky, on the floor, around us, around me. We were playing in a lake. Some people pushing others, mud covering our heads coming from a mud war (why is it so fun?! I love it!) and sand under our feet. Probable it still there. The same lake, same sand, same people. Same energy. Same fluid. That fluid made me feel blessed, makes me feel embraced by nature all around. By all stories that I heard, the celebrations and traditions that I was seeing.
When I was younger I went in a Brazilian indigenous tribe, the Pataxós, during the Water’s Party, or in portuguese ‘Festa das Águas’. The Pataxós living in two different brazilian states: Bahia and Minas Gerais. As I live in the capital of Minas, Belo Horizonte, I went to the village called Carmésia, because is the closest to my town. The tribe is close to the city, in a place called Guarani Farm. There have a small Pataxó village and have more six Pataxó communities in these two states and all of them celebrate this event on October.
I was there with my school in 2011 and we had a few days to explore, to inspire, be inspired by them and to learn with them. To share experiences and enjoy all games, culture and food.
Was only my first day at that beautiful village. We arrived in Pataxós at lunch and they prepared for us a huge welcome party. We saw they dancing and we dancing together, we ate their delicious food and shared stories and histories in a circle. The food in the first day was fish, rice, salad and some veggies.
All this day was raining. Could be better? Is a Water’s Party and was raining! Amazing.
Well… this natural cause did not affect their souls and bodies, neither ours. After we ate, danced and sang, the ritual begun even we didn't know that yet. The blessing (or ‘baptism’) started when someone pass mud in the others and everybody begun to run and we went to the rain. The amount of mud began to grow in people’s hand and everyone was very dirty. Suddenly the natives start loading people and threw them into the lake! What a great surprise!
I spent four days there and along all these days I got great surprises and amazing experiences. Our experience was so intense, true and pure! In the past not only Pataxós but all indigenous suffered a lot of barbaries (and still suffering these days) and see these people trying rediscover your own identity and about your past as well was magical. People who makes me feel like them. There was no gender, color or nationality distinction. Was a terrific celebration. I could feel it. I could taste it. I could smell it. In my body, in my bones, in my ancestry.
I know is not a recent story/travel, but I found this pictures (and I wrote this text for a competition last year and found it too) and I wanted share a little bit about my story and a brazilian story as well.
Thanks for reading it 🙂
