Ticuna Cultural Practices and Beliefs

The video explores the Ticuna community of Yahuma and their traditional pelazón ritual, celebrating female puberty. It details the preparation, cultural significance, and execution of the ritual, highlighting the community's efforts to preserve ancestral knowledge and practices. The ritual involves seclusion, preparation of manioc-based drinks, and symbolic acts like hair plucking and genipa painting, emphasizing growth, strength, and cultural identity.

What is the primary purpose of the pelazón feast among the Ticuna people?

• To mark the beginning of the harvest season

• To commemorate the founding of the Yahuma community

• To celebrate a girl's first birthday

• To ensure a girl's healthy and knowledgeable growth

How long was a girl traditionally kept in seclusion during the pelazón feast?

• Nearly a year

• Three days

• Two weeks

• Five days

What is the special ingredient added to the manioc mass during the preparation of paiyawarú?

• Manichawa

• Salt

• Honey

• Sugar

Who are the twin sons of Nguxtapax, the creator, according to Ticuna beliefs?

• Ipi and Yoxí

• Helda and Tatiana

• Manichawa and Paiyawarú

• Titie and Pora

What are the two moieties in Ticuna society?

• People with drums and people without drums

• People with feathers and people without feathers

• People with genipa and people without genipa

• People with masks and people without masks

What is the significance of the enmascarados masked spirits during the pelazón feast?

• They are the guardians of the animals and plants

• They represent the ancestors of the Ticuna people

• They symbolize the harvest season

• They are the spirits of the river

What is the symbolic meaning of plucking the woxrexcü's hair during the ritual?

• To mark the beginning of the harvest

• To signify the end of her childhood

• To prepare her for marriage

• To honor the ancestors

What is used to paint the bodies of the young children and the woxrexcü during the feast?

• Curcuma

• Manichawa

• Genipa juice

• Bixa dye

What is the final act that signifies the woxrexcü's transformation into a woman?

• The final plucking of her hair

• Her emergence from the tuxri

• Her first dance with the enmascarados

• Her first sip of paiyawarú

What do the participants do with the remains of the feast at the end of the ritual?

• Burn them in a fire

• Bury them in the ground

• Store them for the next feast

• Throw them into the river