Construction of the Kupixawa
May 10, 2025
Project Details
The MAÍ SHOVO (Kupixawa) will be built in the original traditional ancestral form of the Noke Koi people.
With our goal of €12,700, we can build a Kupixawa for 100 people—the minimum the community needs. If we raise more funds, they will be able to build a larger one. Ideally, a Kupixawa with a capacity of 300 people would allow them to host traditional gatherings with other Katukina communities.
The physical structure will be made of pipes, concrete, cement, and square timber, with a zinc roof. In view of global warming and climate change due to excessive deforestation and burning by humans today, the Noke Koi people—who have been respecting and preserving nature since its origin through their spirituality—now depend on non-indigenous materials to build this sacred space that is so valuable to our families.
What is MAÍ SHOVO Kupixawa for?
MAÍ SHOVO is a sacred space and traditional school that has been used by the Noke Koi people from its origin to the present day.
- Sacred rituals are practiced
- Ancestral knowledge is passed on to future generations by the elders through oral tradition
- Stories, music, dances, arts and crafts, and body painting are taught
- Traditional medicines, diets, weddings, health, and education are shared
- Daily social life inside and outside the village takes place
MAÍ SHOVO is also used for traditional celebrations such as the VETE festival, MARÍRÍ, internal community meetings, and collective discussion circles.
The construction of MAÍ SHOVO is of great importance and a necessity for the village of Varí Vino to carry out all these vital activities.
Why Modern Materials?
Traditionally, MAÍ SHOVO was built with raw wood and palm leaves such as jací, arícurí, and coação. It was built collectively by the people of the village themselves, including all age groups in the community.
After thousands of years, the Noke Koi people have maintained and practiced their living culture—from housing and eating habits to cultural festivities and sacred rituals—always preserving and respecting the spiritualities of the forest without unnecessary deforestation. The forest is where they get all their sustenance to survive and maintain their families and, above all, their sacred spirituality that they carry to this day.
Palm trees are very valuable to them because they represent great spirituality and are also edible to the Noke Koi people.
However, in view of global warming and climate change caused by excessive deforestation and burning, the Noke Koi people have made the decision to use non-indigenous materials for this construction. This choice allows them to continue respecting and preserving nature while building the sacred space their community needs.
Guardians of the Amazon
The Noke Koi people preserve the biodiversity and 80% of the Amazon rainforest—the lungs of the world.
They ask all people who are interested in helping them preserve the Amazon rainforest to value the true guardians of the Amazon: the indigenous peoples. They are the first inhabitants of this Brazilian territory, and they contribute their knowledge and preservation of the forest to the rest of the planet.
Together, we can build this sacred space and protect the Amazon for future generations.
*Aliento del Viento pays all invoices directly to suppliers, with no intermediaries. Your donation goes exactly where it’s needed.
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