Irekran Paiakan Kayapo
Irekran is a noble indigenous leader from the Kayapo tribe from the southern basin of the Brazilian Amazon. The Kayapos make beautiful beaded necklaces,
some are brilliant blue or yellow. They also make bracelets and earrings using beads, shells or stones, and headdresses made from the brightly colored feathers of various Amazon birds. Irekran painted one of the first traditional body paints to canvas. You can see here in this picture a woven baby support. The red dye used to color the fringes is from the urucum, a plant also used in body painting.
As a leader, Irekran and her husband, adopted the baby seen in this picture to send a message to the other Kayapo villages to put an end to not valuing the life of the Kayapo females. Irekran is a true protector of the rainforest and her indigenous culture.
The Kayapos are skilled in preparing and applying intricate designs as body paint. They weave sturdy and flexible hammocks. They also make their own canoes as well as fishing and hunting implements such as spears, clubs, blow guns, arrows, and darts.
Completing a full cycle of festivals is essential to Kayapo culture. Singing, chanting, and dancing are important to Kayapo life. Men and women also sing as they go out on a hunt or work the land. They use a type of rattle or maraca and sticks to beat rhythms.
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