Events

The Jamurikumálu is an empowering female-only ritual of the Kuikuro tribe in the upper Xingu region of Mato Grosso. It involves a series of songs and choreographies dealing with love and sexual issues from a female perspective in a humorous manner, including the open choice of a sex partner for the night. Village elder Kanu is the only woman who recalls all of the sacred songs that need to be performed, but she has fallen ill. Fearing the worst, Kanu’s pragmatic husband arranges for this ceremony to be performed again soon so the songs can be passed on. This cheerful portrayal of gender relations among the Kuikuro mixes documentary and fictional elements and draws strength from the power of music, community and tribal knowledge.

Co-sponsored by Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, and Native American and Indigenous Studies at Brown.