Gentes da Mata: Histórias, alteridades e socialidades entre os Jamamadi do médio Purus

Abstract

This dissertation is about the oriental Jamamadis, ancestor inhabitants from the firm land forests of the Purus River‘s basin. Nowadays they are located on its medium segment on the Indigenous Land Jarawara/Jamamadi/Kanamati, at the South of Amazonas. Attempting to comprehend part of their social universe, in a balance between the travel literature and the ethnographic bias, I have dived on the group‘s history dated from the mid XX century. On this process I have rescued some of the encounters and alterities experienced by them that were responsible for meaningful changes that are reflected on their configuration as an ―ethnicity‖. Starting with the hypothesis of the Purus indigenous collective's comprehension by their social and territorial dynamics from the past and using as base the categories ―People of the Waters‖ and ―People of the Woods‖ this study aims to bring together elements for discussion. It takes as reference the initial analysis of the ―lived world‖ (Gow, 1997, 1999, 2001...) Jamamadi, as presented on their narratives. This study expects to contribute with the ethnological researches on the Juruá-Purus interfluve, especially with the arawá-speaking indigenous people