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Apart from nomination, two other Maku rituals use hallucinogens
from the banisteriopsis genus. One of these is
the jurupari ritual, in which boys are initiated
into adulthood. During this rite - which comprises a
theatrical representation of the arrival of the ancestral
anaconda at the stretches of river nowadays occupied
by the Tukano - the men play the sacred flutes, which
cannot be seen by women. The other rite is the kaapi
wayá dance and chant, also originating from
the riverine populations, in which the serpentine path
of the anaconda is performed, but without the sacred
flutes. In addition to these rites, there is dabocuri,
again deriving from the river Indians. This is a profane
festival, light-hearted and fuelled by alcohol. Among
the Maku, very often this ends in veritable battles,
with slapping, stick beating and early morning shouting,
whose consequence - besides fairly extensive bruising
- is usually the dispersion of the co-residents to various
hunt camps or a strategic change of village.
Shamanism. In general, it may be said that all
older Maku men are shamans. These, though, are of two
types: the curers (bididu) and the jaguar-men
(nyaam hupdu). The former cure by using
spells. The latter by extracting the affliction by means
of suction. Frequently, the same individual performs
both functions. In neither case does the shaman inspire
much fear among his peers: he is instead one of the
favourite targets for mocking. But sometimes he may
be accused of malice and sickness, whereupon the people
who believe they have been attacked change village or
"stay in the forest until the anger passes."
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