'The Forest is Crying' - The Huni Kuin of the Amazon
In search of inspiration for how democracy can accommodate the sheer complexity of today’s world, we looked to nature herself and perhaps one of the most dynamic systems it has to offer, the Amazon Rainforest. In the far west of Brazil, the indigenous Huni Kuin people know this environment like few others do. Listening to their story may help us in turn to think like a rainforest; of systems and symmetries rather than in silos and separation.
The Amazon rainforest has been called ‘the greatest expression of life’ on earth. It is a land of superlatives and a forest without equal, teeming with more varieties of plants and animals than any other place in the world. This master ecology influences our oxygen levels, ocean currents, water cycles, weather systems and even our medicines. But, as deforestation levels reach a 12-year high, our collective human guardianship is failing.
Ibã Terri is one of Pinuya’s shamans. Usually found walking in his beloved forest, he deals both with body and spirit to dance on the continuum between the natural and supernatural worlds. He helps to guide the Huni Kuin’s relationship with the land, with themselves and with each other.
In Brazil’s political system, the Huni Kuin struggle for meaningful representation. Their voice, and everything they have to tell Brazil and the world, is frequently drowned out. Amanda Katxanawa is one of Pinuya’s community teachers who ran for election in the local municipality of Tarauacá, but she faced an insurmountable challenge in the face of big party politics. With this kind of system, where the stewards of the rainforest are ignored, the Amazon’s prospects remain bleak.
The Huni Kui regularly use a special mix of plants called ‘Nixi Pae’, more commonly known as Ayahuasca. The ceremonies, guided by the shaman, are laden with chanting, music and symbolism to connect with the ‘Yuxibu’ or mother spirits that, for the Huni Kuin, represent the true existence of life. In living in partnership with the forest, nature presents the community with provision and spiritual guidance which is reciprocated by the village with a careful and vigilant guardianship. In the face of climate change, preserving the knowledge and incorporating the wisdom of those who know nature best is both necessary and urgent. To do so, the networked and diverse nature of the rainforest may be the best blueprint we have when it comes to thinking about the political systems we need in the 21st century.
