| VISIT
TO THE "MALOKAS" OF THE "MARUBO" AND "MAYORUNA" COMMUNITIES |
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- The visits to the
"Marubo" and/or "Mayoruna" communities is voluntary, the Reserva Natural Palmari does not recommend them since the beginning of the year 2.010, even discourages them and will not sign responsible in any which way or case if our guests should complain or feel having been treated unjust and/or unrightly.
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Since over 15 years and until the year 2.009 the Reserva Natural Palmari has supported these 2 "Maloka(s)" by handing out donations as cloth to produce their typical dresscode, knives, machetes, toys for children, fishing equipment and other items. During long conversations with personell of the Reserva Natural Palmari, as well as through proyects and proposals of help offered by the Instituto de Desenvolvimento Socioambiental do Vale do Javari we always insisted in the importance of preserving their traditions, their way of live and their own identity. Constantly we offered ways aiming to show our guests their real, unchanged image without any shows resembling circus events on one hand, and, in the same process, introduce our guests to their "Maloka(s)" in a respectfull manner, safe-guarding their "Marubo" and "Mayoruna" identity and their way of live, as well as improoving their quality of live in an unchanged way.
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Their new, strictly economical position, as well as their exagerated quoting regarding rendered services and nearly aggressive process of payment collecting, is resembling pure western, plain monetary proffitt seeking firms, due to which the Reserva Natural Palmari has finally decided to search for new alternatives which hopefully will grant improoved possibilities to our guests regarding these kind of activities in the near future.
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- The Reserva Natural Palmari will provide the visitor interested in undertaking this visit with one of our guides, free of charge, who will act as company and help coordinate the visit during the day.
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The riverine Transport from the Reserva Natural Palmari to the village of Atalaia do
Norte and return to theReserva Natural Palmari will be granted at a cost of COP $ 90.000.- / BRR 90.- / USD$ 45.- / EUR 30.- per passenger, amount that has to be paid in cash to our main visitors centre´s administrator prior to leaving our visitors centre.
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The transportation
(by motorcycle-taxis, private cars, small VW-buses or small pick-up lorries) from the village of Atalaia do Norte to the "Maloka(s)" and return also has to be paid by the guest, has to be negotiated and paid to the relevant driver and costs approx. COP 25.000.- / BRR 25.- per passenger; the Reserva Natural Palmari can not guarantee these values, which may vary according to the passing of time, the condition of the wheather and the mood of the driver; the road linking Atalaia do Norte with the "Maloka(s)" is mainly paved, in case of rain it might be slippery and the above mentioned transport conveyances are mostly old and in poor mechanical condition; said this, walking might be considered in order to cover the distance, but this distance is huge.
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These "Marubo" and "Mayoruna" communities, probably due to the circumstance of being located between the villages of Atalaia do Norte and Benjamin Consant, have been confronted with the conditions of live of the modern world of the "white man" and are being reached and absorbed on a daily basis by this process; eventhough these "Marubo"
and "Mayoruna" communities insist that they defend and keep their etnical "Marubo"
and "Mayoruna" traditions, culture and social-political system, this may not be confirmed and over the years the constant and unstoppeable decay of their identity as "Marubo"
and "Mayoruna" tribe members shows.
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In comparison with the "Maloka(s)" residing behing Leticia (on the so called "Los Kilometros" road) belonging to various communities of people consisting of a mixture of colombian colonists and former "Uitoto", "Tikuna" and other indigenous tribe members, the brazilian indigenous "Marubo" and "Mayoruna" communities at least have not given in to the tourism expectations of a circus show based on forged disguises, dances and songs integrated into their programme, situation that in respect to the "Marubo" and "Mayoruna" still preserves a relatively sound impression of their"Marubo" and "Mayoruna" way of live.
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The entrance fee to the "Maloka(s)" costs money (approx. COP $ 20.000.- / BRR 20.- per visitor), the taking of photographs costs money (approx. COP $ 10.000.- / BRR 10.- per each photograph after the 5th.photograph), each and any request regarding a song, a dance, tasting of their food or beverages or shooting of a short film, in other words any request will be approached as an economic transaction and collecting of the relevant amounts can result in strikt and unfriendly processes.
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It can happen that a priorly agreed negotiation will not be respected a few minutes later; the visitor should request the delivery of the purchased item or rendering of the purchased service with inmediate effect and should pay the agreed price swiftly in order to avoid being involved later on in unpleasant collecting processes.
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The visitor may aquire typical handicrafts, art items or other but prices for the same article may vary according to the relevant buyer and/or seller, situation that often happens.
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The "Marubo"
and "Mayoruna" offer the visitor the opportunity to experiment with some of their medical and ritual substances, amongst them harmless substances of an accelerating kind ("Rapé") , other somehow stronger substances of an tranquilizing and introspective - conversational type ("Mambe"), other more potent with hallucinogenic effects ("Ayahuascá"/"Yagé") and finally very strong substances (Sekrations from poisoness dart-frogs) holding sickening, concious-modifying and even conciousness-loosing properties.
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- It results obvious that these "Marubo" and "Mayoruna" substances are offered by the "Marubo" and "Mayoruna" in accordance with their own believes and laws as an individually, self ruling indigenous "Marubo" and "Mayoruna" community; the ussage and keeping of these substances outside of the "Marubo" and "Mayoruna" communal land is regarded by the brazilian authorities as a breach of the law and will be punished under severe legal conditions.
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