Festa da Menina Moça
A gallery by photographer Genilson Guajajara
The artist’s first-hand account of Festa da Menina Moça:
“‘Festa da menina moça’ is a rite of passage for a young girl to become an adult. It is made up of three moments: the cassava, or the festival of the cassava; hunting; and a 'momqueada' celebration as the last step. The celebration is organized by the parents of the girl, and other girls are called to play with the celebrated girl. It starts on friday with songs sung by ancient singers and wise people of the territory. Rehearsal begins during the night, and on Saturday morning at the start of the ritual the elder women are responsible for painting the bodies of the young women and men who also participate - who are young boys with changing voices, of 12 or 13 years of age.
In the ritual hunted meat is used, such as guariba monkeys, caitutu pigs, and birds like nambú and Jacú. These meats are smoked in a 'giral,' to be preserved for two or three months, until the big day of the ritual. Sunday is the end of the ritual, where during the morning the female elders remove the meat from the pan, and separate the mixture with mandioca flour. This makes what is called an 'angú,' that is at last distributed among the invitees. After the food is shared there is the last step, or closing: The moment where the girls are reintroduced to everyone as women.”
Genilson Guajajara is an Indigenous photographer of the Guajajara people from the Indigenous land of Rio pindaré\Ma / Brazil. He studied cinema at VNA (“videos in the villages”), and through photography he records the ritualistic moments of his people, the Guajajara, and the fight for the protection of his territory, culture and teachings — which he says is essential in continuing the struggles of his Ancestors. The objective of his work is to show people the importance of preserving the environment for the future generation.
Follow Genilson and his work on Instagram @genilsonguajajara.