Spirits and Headhunters: Vanishing Worlds of the Amazon

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Today, the Amazon is one of the world's most diversified regions, encompassing the rainforests of northeastern South America and the vibrant cultures of approximately 200 Indian tribes. Invisible to modern society, some of these are the last people of the new world who retain their pre- conquest culture. As they become more well- known, their recognition as great artisans of feather ornaments grows. Spirits and Headhunters: Vanishing Worlds of the Amazon celebrates ceremonies and rituals of passage unique to these indigenous people.

Inspired by ancient cosmology, mythology, and ecological knowledge, the ceremonies represented in this exhibit include initiation and funerary rites, shamanic practices and social visiting. The ceremonial regalia and objects in this exhibition illustrate the unique artistic expressions of each tribe, utilizing materials available from their immediate environments: wood, cloth, fiber, and feathers. Marvel at vibrant headdresses, full-body costumes, body decorations, furniture and ceramic objects from the following tribes.

Tribes and rituals represented in the exhibition:

Urubu Kaapor: Tal hupi naha, name-giving ritual

Karaja: Initiation into adulthood ritual of men

Tapirape: Initiation of shamans, moieties singing contests and rituals for the dead

Xingue area tribes: Kuarup rituals for the dead, initiation into adulthood of women

Kayapo: Name-giving rituals

Ticuna: Moca Nova, initiation into adulthood of women

Shuar: The shaman's place in society

Shipibo-conibo: Healing rituals, and the Ani Shreati, the annual social gathering