::01

Due to the fact the Arara have been in contact with the surrounding population for a long time (approximately 60 years), their social and political organization, as well as their traditional cultural practices, have suffered considerable losses or have practically disappeared.

From what it was possible to determine from the elderly, there were traditional festivals (for example, the corn harvest festival), and there was also the seclusion of young people until the time of marriage.

There were two distinct groups of Arara: those who exist today and the so-called "Black Feet", who supposedly spoke a different dialect of Arara. Reports state that, despite their inhabiting nearby regions and maintaining good relations of friendship, there were at times episodes of animosity between the two groups, which resulted in deaths on both sides. Presently, there is no record of the existence of Indians of the “Black foot” group among the Arara.

Several aspects which are still maintained of their social organization are, for example, the fact that the man, on marrying, goes to work for his wife’s father until he decides to let them go (work, for example, in the gardens, hunting, fishing etc.). This practice is even observed among the Arara (men and women) who have married Indians from other ethnic groups, mainly the Gavião.

There are several marriages (not recent) between Indians and non-Indians, but this type of union generally is not looked upon well by the members of the community.

It is not known what was the traditional system of naming the newborn, but the Arara children receive both Arara and Portuguese names (generally names are given by the parents and/or grandparents). The meaning of the Arara name always refers to a physical aspect of the child or to an episode related to its birth (or gestation).

The houses of the villages are not built in the traditional architectural pattern. They are wooden houses (several already are of bricks), with a living room and two or three rooms, and the kitchen is built separately, as an attachment to the house, made of straw and paxiúba palm. It is the coolest place to stay during the day when the heat is intense.