Nane the Protector

"Nane the Protector" documents the ancestral wisdom and bio-cultural practices of the Hunikuí People, focusing on Nane (Genipapo), a sacred tree of the Amazon rainforest.

Originally cultivated by the Hunikuī people, Nane serves as a vital element for the protection of our people. Before use, ceremonial chants are performed to bridge both the spiritual and material worlds. From children’s first baptism rituals, Nane is used for strength and health. These edible fruits grow in large trees and are reached by climbing barefoot to harvest dyes used in daily rituals.

The Hunikuí women are guardians of our traditions and essential to the preparation process by collectively preparing the paint to create “kene” otherwise known as sacred geometry. The women of our community prepare Nane collectively by grating the fruit, pouring liquid into a bowl and placing it in the sun to dry. The sacred geometries painted on the body contain a deep meaning and are attributed to animal shapes, rivers, forests, earth and sky.

We tell and retell the stories of our people, our wisdom and our connection to each other through our art which is why Nane and other plants are so important to our people to protect. "Nane the Protector" celebrates the beauty and strength of women and our traditional practices and centres on the importance of these rituals for preserving our ancestral culture. "Nane the Protector" serves as both a sharing of our cultural practice and also aims to reaffirm our autonomous identity. Another key factor in creating this project is to catalogue our knowledge for the generations to come from the threat of deforestation and biodiversity loss. The forest is as much a part of us, as we are a part of the forest. 

May the forest spirit of positive energy bring wisdom and protection to our children. May the ancestral wisdom and positive energy of the universe make a spiritual connection with us.

ARTIST BIO: My original name is Keshtuani aību Kuī but I also go by Mara Vanessa Sales Kaxinawá. I am one of the first audio-visual Indigenous women and artisan teachers from my village TŪKU NIXI, of the Hunikuī people in Acre, Brazil. As a photographer I aim to show our story, using the medium of photography to reaffirm our identity and convey our struggles. The importance behind my work is to set a precedent of autonomy over our truth, our voices, and a community collective of resistance. My hope for the impact of my art is to carry forward the voice, work, customs, culture, religion, festivities and more of our indigenous people.  

With gratitude from Hunikuī haux haux.