The 'head cutters': Memory as a heritage of the munduruku

Abstract

The article analyzes the way in which the Munduruku articulate past and present in their struggles, putting together in their favor all the imaginary about and built by them as a warrior people, traditionally known as the 'head cutters'. Appropriating elements of the culture of whites (non-Indians), the Munduruku demonstrate their political ability in devising action strategies, appropriating national and international legislation that guarantees their rights, using the appropriate vocabulary for confrontation and making alliances with bodies such as the Federal Public Ministry and Non-Governmental Organizations, in addition to publicizing their struggles internationally. Thus, notions of history, environment and memory started to incorporate the cultural repertoire of this people, basing action strategies in situations of confrontation or demand, as occurs when confronting the hydroelectric plants on the Tapajós River.