Rivers, lakes, waterfalls and swirls: Religiosity within the Nambiquara fluvial space

Abstract

The article aims to present the symbolism surrounding the river area from Nambiquara indigenous groups, located in the western area of Mato Grosso State, on the Indigenous Land Nambiquara, demarcated by the National Indian Foundation in 1968, in the middle of Legal Amazon. A line bordering the area seized and occupied by the Nambiquara wraps itself in their cultural representations and results in an ethnohistorical process based on the contact between neighboring indigenous peoples and social groups from different parts of Brazil. The Nambiquara space is apprehended in its representations, images and concepts, built in function of their thoughts systems and their needs. The water, involved in mythical-religious meanings, is the starting point for the recognition of its territory. It is the first registered trace in the improvised cartography of the villages, constantly rebuiltin the pages of their memories.

Key words: Nambiquara, mythic-religious meanings, river area, cultural representations.