Shawãdawa Rapé – Putuvi

More about Shawãdawa Putuvi Rapé

Putuvi is a medicine added to this top rapé from the Shawãdawa tradition. The Shawã is the red Macaw and the symbol of the Arara people. Putuvi in their tradition is a rapé for daily use; good for working, giving energy and keeping one focused. A medicine that doesn’t need special preparation such as a diet to use.

In the words of our Shawãdawa Rapé Snuff maker:

“The Rapé with the herb Putuvi we use against headaches, flu, insomnia, mental disturbance and fatigue. Like this we use it to help heal our family. It can be used everyday and it doesn’t require a special diet.”

The following is a text, from the maker speaking in his own words on rapé, and the traditions of his people, contextualising the two medicines we are presenting here.

“The Shawãdawa live in the upper Jurua river in four indigenous demarcated lands. Today the main objective of the Shawã people is to protect our lands, our forest where all our natural medicines are present. We are also always looking to save and salvage our culture, the teachings of our ancestors. The use of our sacred medicines brings us this study of healing and of our ancestral teachings.

We are from the pano linguistic root like families as the Yawanawa, Poyanawa, Kaxinawa, Jaminawa, Deadawa, Kuntanawa and many others. Shawã means Arara, Macaw and Dawa is family so we are the family of the macaw.

The use of Rupusuty, as we call Rapé in our language and tradition, has a very important meaning for the Shawãdawa, it is the study of the medicinal plants that give the force to strengthen the spirit and the force to heal the material of the diseases of the flesh. To be a warrior in the forest it is necessary to know the medicines and its powers by doing the traditional diets, the stronger the medicine, the longer the diet.“

More about Rapé…

Use with respect and care; it is a tobacco product and can be habit forming!