Parteiras Indígenas Baré: suas memórias e saberes tradicionais no atendimento junto às puruãs na sede de São Gabriel da Cachoeira-AM

Abstract

Being pregnant, giving birth, giving birth to a new being, may even be a natural act, but for indigenous peoples, no matter how many times it is for women, it is a unique and magical moment that over millennia has been extended from rituals. From the moment the little one is conceived, indigenous women already feel that there will be another family member on the way, feelings that give rise to a concern to ensure that the new being can arrive in health and safety. The present study aimed to understand the meanings and senses of this magical moment present in the traditional memories and knowledge of “being pregnant and preparing for the arrival of the new being” by indigenous midwives of the Baré ethnic group in the headquarters of São Gabriel da Cachoeira-AM. To carry it out, we adhered to the ethnographic method, based on a qualitative analysis approach and augmented by quantitative data. The techniques used to collect data were: bibliographic research, participant observation, semi-structured interviews and oral reports. The expression indigenous midwife puts as protagonists three indigenous women living in the headquarters of the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira-AM, who have excellent recommendations and have been carrying out specialized care activities as midwives with the Puruãs2 for years. Our search was to “give voice”, reporting the stories, nature, mental and spiritual health and trajectory to cultural knowledge as indigenous specialists. Often disqualified and discredited in their profession, indigenous midwives experience moments of discredit, especially in terms of measurements and hierarchization of knowledge. The practices of prayers, faith in what is invisible, the rules present in beliefs, the act of adjusting the belly to change the baby's position, medicinal plants, the phases of the moon and the rituals to be followed by pregnant women, in short, all these experiences lived by the female world need to be confirmed and respected by the scientific world. They are holders of an intertwined science and techniques, in which “magical rites and beliefs would then appear, with many other expressions of an act of faith in a science yet to be born” (LÉVI-STRAUSS, 2008, p. 26). An ancient science that needs to be recovered and disseminated. The care provided by indigenous midwives does not only last during the birth process, it also occurs before, during and after birth. An indigenous midwife, whether in the city or in the community, is as important as an obstetrician in a maternity ward. The difference in the monitoring carried out by indigenous midwives is the creation of bonds of trust, as the midwives know the body of the woman in labor, her features, mannerisms and the best way to have the child and how to care for her at each stage of pregnancy. It is a fact that our grandmothers are leaving and there are few women midwives among us. That's why they need to come out of anonymity, be presented and immortalized for their courage, faith and wisdom, ancient knowledge of a culture that cannot be forgotten or lost in time. May the example of our indigenous midwives serve as encouragement for others to take on this gift, but not to speak out for fear of discredit and devaluation, so that they can continue the generation of indigenous midwives in the Upper Rio Negro.

Keywords: Indigenous Midwife, Ethnoknowledge, Memory

Puruãsá, mẽbiraisá, supirisá upe yepé taina, mayeté yakua waa, ĩdíjina ita supe ũbaa takua putari muirisá tayumẽbirai, ma ĩdíjina kuyã ita supé tasaã rame, mayeté yepé viaji waa yawé tamebiraisá kuxima suiwara takuasá irumu. Kuyã ĩndíjina mairame uyupiru usaã uriku taina, ukua, aikué uyukua tapitérupi amu taina, apé uyupiru maduaisá sesé, tiara masiwera uyukirai, purãgarã uyumuyã imayã marika upe. Yawe arama, kiri wara yũbuesá upe, yarikuté yamãduari yakua sesewara ipuruãsá resewara Baré kuyã tairumu, ukua re waa ita sesewara, iké tawa upe. Yawe arama yaputari yane kitiwara kuasá muraki upe awasemu sesewara: papera ita upe, amiakũtasá rupi, purãdusá rupi asuí asẽdusá tãbeu sesewara. Tamaãsá ita kuyã ipuruã rame, iké yane tawa upe, arkué musapiri Baré kuyã ita, supiara rete waa ita. Tapurakiana siya akayu purãga, ipuruã waa ita irumu, yawe arama yamãduari turusu tarupi, asui yãbeu taresewara iké, táwa wara taresewara. Siya viaji amurame amu ita tamu teyũtu, tamuraki resé, asui ũbaa takua purati yawe waa resé, ta mitina pusãga resé, tamukaturusá resé ipuruã waa ita marika, yasi yawe-yawe, tãbeukarisá resé maã ipurua waa upuderi umuyá asui maã ti waa upuderi umuyã yaã pukusá, asui, kuyã ita kitiwara resé. Yawe arama amu sui wara ita, tarikuté tarespetari takuasá ruaxá. Ayũaté aĩtá, tamukaturusá aité kua kuasá muraki resé, yepeasu taruyarisá irumu, mame maã “tamuyã waa muraki taruyaisá irumu, taruasá irumu aé yepé mẽgara ruyaisá amu ita ruaxá usikaré waa uiku uyukuá” (LÉVI-STRAUSS, 2008, p. 26). Aé yepé kuxiima seuwara kuasá, kua rupi wara, yapuderi yayuri yariku aé, asui yãbeu sesawara. Ypuruã waa ita resewara muraki, uyupiru yeperesé, tisamaã ayũ uyumẽbirai pukusá até usupiri riré taina. Yepé kuyã ĩdíjina ukuá waa sesewara, ukua waa sesewara tawa upe wara, asui tẽdáwa suiwara, aĩta takuasá mayeté yepé mediku mẽbiraisá ita rupiara yawé. Iamurupisá sesewara ĩdíjina kuyã muraki, aitá, takuá awá resé tamiakutawaa taiku, takua maye usu uiku ipuruã waa pira resé, puruãgarã usupiri taina. Kuiri yane aria ita takayẽmu usu uiku, tiã siya aĩtá, takua rewa ita sesewara yane pitérupi. Yarikuté yamuyukuá aitá, takuasá irumu, taruyaisá irumu, kuxima suiwara takuasá, tiará ukayemu, asuir tiarã yaneresarai aé. Maã tamukame wana waa yamaã, amu ita tiarã tasikié tamuyukua, asui tapuraki yawe waa kuasá irumu upuderi aram uyumusasá amu ita supé, ĩdíjina ita kuasá, ipuruã waa ita resewara, iké paraná wasu apírupi.

Palavras chave: Mẽbiraisá rupiara kuyã ĩndíjina, Yane kitiwara kuasa, Mãwarisa upe.