The Makakari territory, once home to vast Atlantic forest valleys, is now severely diminished. Elders recall a rich ecosystem providing food, medicine, and materials, with the forest also serving as the habitat for Yamikpo, their central spiritual figure. Damasio notes that now there is almost nothing but grass due to rampant farming practices that have devastated the environment, leaving only 17% of the original vegetation in the four maxakari reservations.
In response to environmental degradation, Maxakari leaders are turning to planting, guided by ecological insights embedded in their musical traditions. Music plays a crucial role in village life, serving to cure illnesses, pass down history, and convey practical knowledge. Musicologist De Taggney emphasizes that songs encapsulate ecological knowledge, detailing hundreds of now-extinct species and the interconnectedness of the forest’s flora and fauna.
At the Hamhi Tree Nursery, songs are integral to nurturing and cultivating plants. Caregivers sing to seeds and throughout the cultivation process, which helps transmit ancestral ecological wisdom. The nursery has already achieved significant reforestation milestones since its inception in 2023, planting over 60 hectares of fruit trees and 155 hectares of Atlantic forest vegetation. They are also implementing traditional fire prevention strategies, reinforcing the belief that singing contributes to forest regeneration.
Damasio articulates a spiritual connection, stating that their songs call upon ancestors to aid in forest growth, illustrating the deep interlinking of culture, ecology, and spirituality within the Maxakari community.
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