Puyanawa Murici | Immunity & Purification

The Puyanawa tribe, like many others in Acre, suffered immensely during the rubber and caucho boom in the early 20th century. They were forcibly removed from their lands and made to work in the rubber extraction areas, resulting in the loss of their culture and language. However, with the demarcation of their territory, they have worked hard to reclaim their culture and language. The Puyanawa subsist mainly on agriculture and sell their produce to intermediaries for clothing, salt, and other necessities. In addition to farming, they still practice traditional activities such as trekking for game and raw materials. The Puyanawa established the Poyanawa Agroextractivist Association of the Barão and Ipiranga in 1988, which played a vital role in demarcating their land and preventing invasions. The association also received financial support for various income-generating projects, including flour production and livestock breeding, and worked with UNDP and PPTAL to consolidate the physical demarcation of their indigenous land.