Biographic outline of Aritana Yawalapiti: the shaping of a prototypical chief

Abstract

This text presents a biography of the recently deceased chief Aritana Yawalapiti based on the stages involved in shaping an eminent person whose death can be the motive for the itsatchi ritual (quarup). Aritana’s trajectory is seen the ideal shaping of a chief, and involves all stages of the procedural model described by researchers. The approach adopted in this biography reveals innate factors like the ancestry of chiefs from the Kamayurá and Yawalapiti peoples, as well as factors constructed throughout life, such as outstanding wrestling ability, sponsorship of rituals, political participation, and the ability to speak multiple languages. Aritana’s reputation as one of the greatest fighters of all time, along with his dexterity and strength, exhibit full-body development according to the local practice. As the “owner of the whites,” he mediated relations between his people (the Yawalapiti) and the entire Upper Xingu region with the non-indigenous world. As a polyglot, he could communicate well and make himself understood in the three main Upper Xingu languages. As the “owner of rituals,” he received protection and assistance from apapalutapa spirits, with whom he maintained a long-lasting relationship. Our ultimate objective is to understand how Aritana’s personal development and biographical trajectory shaped him into a renowned chief.

Keywords
Ethnobiography; Chieftainship; Yawalapiti; Upper Xingu