Lecture with Juliana Oliveira Silva
PPGAS/USP Postdoc
Fapesp Process 2023/02002-2
Gender and power among the Korubo: the case of the matxo
Abstract: In the ethnological literature on the peoples of the Pano linguistic family, the cognates of the word matxo were mostly translated as “old women”. However, among the Korubo of the Vale do Javari Indigenous Land (Amazonas), matxo designates a category of adult women who display optimized dexterity and skills in their daily lives, in hunting and gathering expeditions, and in the treatment given to others, especially children. This group of Korubo women exhibits some characteristics described in the discussion on Amerindian chieftainship, such as control over the service of the bride(s) and management of relations with government agents. Based on long-term ethnographic field research, I will present characteristics of the Matxo in dialogue with ethnological discussions on gender and power in the Amazon, with an emphasis on the models of the father-in-law as chief and the father-in-law as chief. The Matxo organize the daily lives and activities of the Korubo, by creating and shaping villages, and influence the life cycle of the Korubo person, from birth to death.
Poster photo: Paulo Mumia. Collection of the Indian Museum/FUNAI – Brazil
08/23/2024, 2:00 p.m.
Anfiteatro Street 181, Colmeia - honeycomb 8
University City - São Paulo - SP