Cuniua River, Deni Lands, February 26th
11:38h: I saw a couple of macaws very close to the boat this morning. Macaws are like small pieces of rainbow lending beauty to the world. They are very romantic animals. It is said that macaws are loyal to the same partner for a lifetime. If the partner dies or is captured, the other remains lonely and sad for the rest of his life. Love stories from the jungle.
We've already passed the Deni village of Sumauma and are on our final approach to Visagem, where Zena and Vaisuvi will leave us and go back to their families.
Last night, we had fish barbecue on the Comandante Savio. We ate piranhas, jaraquis and pacus that were caught by Captain Flavio and some of the Deni. The soundtrack was cheap Amazon bolero and Iracema's sonorous laughs. It was great fun.
15:17h: The Comandante Savio arrived at Visagem a couple of hours ago. We had a meeting at Sibiribi's house with most of the local leaders.
It's not as clear to the Deni as it is for us that once the lands are demarcated they will be able to request resources such as motorboats and health services. Problems such as lack of transport and diseases affect them on a daily basis.
17:00h: The Visagem village is a pleasant place - if you manage to not think about the piuns, of course. There are dozens of small children around, more than in the other villages, indicating big families. Sibiribi's house is the biggest Deni hut I have ever seen; there is also a soccer field in the middle of the village.
Vichuharu does not know her age, but I guess she's around 40. While we talk, she breast-feeds Builini, a 2- year old boy. "I always had plenty of milk", she says. Besides Builini, she had 3 other children who are already married. One of them, Asiva, 16, is Vaisuvi's wife. Vichuharu, a grandmother that still breastfeeds; Vichuharu, a woman of contagious laughter; Vichuharu, a Deni matriarch who runs her family through good and bad times.
While I talk to Vichuharu and play with the children, ducks and chicken walk under the hut; both eggs and meat are important elements of the Deni diet, as well as fish and game. Moreover, the Deni plant manioc, potato, cara (a kind of root), banana and papaya and collect acai and pataua (palm fruits). They practice sustainable forestry: they plant in one tract of forest for a couple of years, then move to a nearby area to let the forest recompose and the soil rest. This way, an average level of ground nutrients is maintained and deforestation does not become a menace for the environment.
As the Comandante Savio travels down the river again, I can still see Zena's eyes following us; I bid my Deni friend farewell. Man, I never get used to this goodbye thing.
19:00h: We are already at the entrance of the stream that leads to Marrecao village. The sun has stopped to shine and parrots cry in the bush announcing the arrival of the night. No more work for today; meeting with local leaders is due to happen tomorrow morning.
Final update from the Deni Expedition- Cuniua River, Deni lands, February 27th
13:29h: Everyone was starving when we came back from another round of talks with the Deni leaders. Thanks to Iracema and her spectacular fried fish, I have a full belly and feel alive again.
Marrecao is different from the other Deni villages. It's the largest Deni village, with 110 inhabitants. The village does not stand by the Cuniua riverside; there is a 5 minutes sail on a canoe and a 5 minutes walk in the bush to reach the houses.
Raku is a talkative Deni leader. Married and father of 8 kids, he owns a furious dog called Hari Jr. Behind his hut scarlet bromeliads cheer the scene - the results of a skilled gardeners work. Nilo told Raku about his baby Felipe. "I miss him so much", said Nilo. Raku smiled in solidarity - so nice it almost made me cry.
The meeting happened in the way as the previous ones. Update on the demarcation status and next steps.
Kakuva is another patarahu (chief) of Marrecao. He is a thin middle- aged man that has brought 6 children to this world. He is also an artisan, making beautiful arrows and bows, as well as wooden knives and blowguns with darts. He proudly explained how each thing worked and told me the names of the materials used to build the crafts, "The darts are made of pataua (palm tree) and the poison comes from a vine called iha".
I also met an elder Deni leader. People estimate his age on 75 years old, but he surely does not look older than 50. Kazupana, that's his name.
Kazupana witnessed the history of contact with whites from the very beginning. When he was a kid, he used to live at the mouth of the Cuniua River. "Many white people came. They took copaiba, rubber, sorva and timber. They took things from us. Now they are gone; but they will come back to take our land from us", he said.
We are now sailing towards the Deni village of Cidadezinha, our last stop before we leave Deni lands.
18:46h: Some Deni friends gave Ribamar and Flavio (skipper) a couple of chicken, including a rooster. Sailing with chickens!! The rooster is driving me nuts. It cackles every five minutes and will probably wake me up tomorrow morning. I'll throw it and Ribamar in the water if it doesn't shut up.
Our quick stop at Cidadezinha was nice. Ike saw some of the sick children he treated on our way up, and they were all doing better. By the way, today is Ike's birthday. We will soon have a cake and maybe even a candle. Happy Birthday, Doc.
Ike is a talented doctor. He can tell what people suffer from by touching them and looking at their eyes. I enjoy watching him working. Sometimes I wonder what it may feel like to be a doctor, to have this healing power. Especially if you are treating people like the Deni, that are so isolated and needy. "The main health problems that affect the Deni are malaria, tuberculosis, verminosis leading to dehydration, respiratory and skin infections", he concluded. "Measures such as building septic tanks and promoting periodic vaccinations and malaria controls would greatly improve the Deni health conditions".
Our way back home has now started. It should take us about 6 days to reach Manaus. We expect to have the sun as a fellow for the trip because that will make it way more pleasant. We will use the travelling time to shot list video images, brainstorm on photo essays and edit texts for the feature package.
As I wait for dinner, my mind settles on the times we've had with the Deni. All our expectations were met or surpassed, and hopefully the Deni feel the same. We have good imagery and the project is definitely a success. Of most importance, Greenpeace is making a difference by helping to creating a model that can be shared, both by us and by the Deni, with other indigenous communities throughout the Amazon Basin.
We are learning a lot by coming to the heart of the forest to work with a traditional population like the Deni. We are settling roots in the forest, beyond Brazilian and international political and economical forums. We are building links with people that are the most affected by decisions taken in Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Washington or Berlin. And we are helping give them the information and experiences they need so they can speak with their own voices and send their message to the rest of the world.
Personally, I've learned a lot about human spirit in the 10 days I shared with these good-natured people. I'll carry their laughs and dreams with me, wherever I go, as a permanent inspiration.
This is probably the last update I will write from the Comandante Savio. It's been a pleasure to share my impressions with you guys. Thanks for those who sent us messages; it was good for the moral onboard.
Final greetings from Nilo, Rebeca, Todd, Flavio (photo), Ribamar, Iracema, Liberato, Teresa, Flavio (skipper), Paulo (deck), Sebastiao (deck), Renata and Ike. Ah, and the piuns.
