Wayana

Wayana is the name given to one of the six people Amerindian S alive in Guyana, on banks of the rivers Mana and Maroni.

These Amerindians formerly so called Roucouyennes , live in village communities, at the edge of water.

Language and culture

Resulting from old the Caribbean People, like their brothers of the coast the Kalinas, they live near the rivers, primarily in the South of Guyana on Haut-Maroni (also named Alitani ), but part of the ethnos group lives with the Surinam, like with the close Brésil.

Formerly consituée of many clans scattered on a vast territory, the population wayana fell to 1.400 people approximately (2004). The traditional exposition in Nivrée at Wayanas evoked 1.100 people in Guyana (CNRS/IRD) living especially between Maripasoula and Pilima.

Wayanas moved formerly in the areas of the mountains Tumuc-Humac and their periphery.

Formerly the villages joined together 20 to 30 people, along the great rivers. They changaient of place approximately every seven years, guided by the old ones. Today the wayanas are sédentarisent and the villages reach or exceed the 100 people. Some houses with walls, on pile appeared, but the majority are of the light habitats of type carbet. With the Brazil, Wayanas live in a reserve, under the aegis of the National Foundation of the Indian (FUNAI) but also of the missionaries evangelist S. Those of the Surinam as for them are framed by the American missionaries Protesting S.

Certains Wayanas forsook the fishing and traditional hunting. The arc was replaced by rifle, and the hook appeared, just as the synthetic nets, but they remain numerous to be faithful to the traditional values.

Wayana are traditionally of large consumers of Poisson, fished several times per day with the hook, with the sparrowhawk (net), with the harpoon, the arc or the Nivrée, i.e. using vegetable poisons (Roténone) introduced into lentic zones facilitating the capture of fish. As of the age of 5 or 6 years, the children learn how to fish the species available, with the liking of the seasons. They very quickly acquire a good knowledge of the river, its accesses and its dangers.

The Chasse is practiced at several times in the week (even less often). Like the gathering, it brings some food complements. Part of the resources comes from the various purchases or exchanges and assistances from the administration (like RMI).

It is necessary to drive out more and more far around the villages to find game, and the Poisson is polluted more and more by the mercury of the researchers of Or.

The women create ornaments and jewels and they decorate the potteries and objects of the daily newspaper or with more ritual value, of the techniques and the ancestral reasons transmitted from generation to generation. It became a source of revenue.

The “Maraké” is one of large the Wayana ceremony. It is one key moment of the initiation which regulates the passage of childhood to the adult, with ritual songs (Kalau) which one known as hypnotic. At the time of the ritual ceremonies “Tipiems” the young people were formerly subjected to a painful ritual. One passed very close to the skin of the body of the initiate of a “Cunana”, a basket making zoomorphe (in the shape of animal, fish, bird or mythical animal) decorated coloured feathers, of which a central part was woven and so as to be able there to imprison ants (Idak) whose bite is very painful or of the wasps. The teenagers in the course of initiation, encouraged by the families and the chamane were to support the pain without groaning.

A rather close technique consists in carrying the object like an armor immunizing during several hours. After the meeting, the carrier famous was immunized against the wounds by arrow.

Myths, legends and shock of the cultures

Wayanas, as all the communities have a corpus of myths and legends founders, stories family and of group, as well as a clean symbolic system translated by particular reasons on the ritual objects or of the daily newspaper. The united illustrations are inspired by traditional reasons for Wayanas. The myths and the stories of the wayanas were transmitted from generation to generation by singers storytellers, of which one of known best, died in 2001, was “Kuliyama”, of which part of the knowledge was recorded by the anthropologists Jean Chapuis.

According to Wayanas, our world appeared in one era of transformation where all could change anything of other. The living beings and minerals which we know would then have appeared created by two mythical characters “Kuyuli” and its frêre “Mopo”, which created the plants, animals, mushrooms, the mountains, the seas and the rivers and all that is under the sky and audelà. This World persists, with hidden things, accessible to only the chamanes.

Ulinumtop eitoponpë uhpak: wars of the past

After the creation of the current world, the myths tell that the wayanas lengthily fought between clans. The collective memory evokes the epic of Kailawa (Kailawa Eitoponpë) and the history of Sikëpuli, two mythical heroes which preceded the one era old installation of peace which perdure still between the people of the area.

Hemalë Eitoptom: Current times

It is one era of barter between ethnos groups, which was marked according to the Kuliyaman storyteller, by the meeting with the Westerners and the Aluku S (chestnuts, people of origins African downward of the slaves brought by Europeans which are flee in the jungle before establishing villages along the river Maroni). It is one time of astonishment and opening, but also of social, dramatic upheaval for all the ethnos groups of the forest which will be decimated by the epidemics brought by the new arrivals.

The Christian and Protestant missionaries wanted to bring their religion. The administration did not know to adapt the school and the dispensaries to villages which for cultural and perhaps medical reasons moved approximately every 7 years. The Gold washing and the Tourisme lead new populations to come into contact with Wayanas, which can not have protective immunity against microbes or parasites new for them (the Coqueluche still kills out of the not vaccinated children), the more so as the mercury can decrease natural immunity.

A despair is maintained or increased by the alcohol, violence, the threats, the flights, rapes and plunderings which accompany or follow often the arrival of the gold diggers. It is, in addition to the mercury which soils the rivers and the environment, undoubtedly one of the causes of the epidemics of suicides which develop in the young people wayana since the end of the year 1990.

Territories

In France, a French order of the prefect of September 14th, 1970 recognized with the Amerindians a territory protected in the south from the Guyana.

On this zone of 30.000 km ², subjected to authorization by this decree, three Amerindian ethnos groups live (Wayana, Wayampi and Teko). theoretically this territory is protected, actually it is the subject always of illegal activities, of search for gold in particular.

Wayana live traditionally on the edge of rivers and a close territory.

The principal Guianese villages wayana are:

Elahé (on the Top Maroni)
Kayodé (on the Top Maroni)
Antécume-Pata (on Haut-Maroni)
Talwen (on High Maroni)
Twenke (on high Maroni)

With the Brazil, Wayanas are mixed with the Apalai population of the reserve of Parks Indígena C Tumucumaque (territory managed by FUNAI).

With the Surinam, they live at the edge of the Tapanahony river

Threats

Like the other Amerindians living inside Guyana (Wayampis, Swivels /Tekos), Wayanas are constantly victims of the activities of the Brazilian clandestine gold washers (poisoning with mercury, flights, death threats). Their territories of Haut-Maroni and part of the basin downstream are particularly touched since the years 1990 by unrestrained, often illegal and always very destroying research for the environment of gold. Between 2000 and 2004, defense associations of the Amerindian populations listed approximately 10.000 clandestine workers on camps of gold washing, 30 floating barges on the only river Approuague and 12 camps of gold washing in the natural reserve of the Nourague S. the scientific bases, natural reserves are not saved (2 guards killed in 2006)

the mercurielle impregnation of most of the Amerindians Wayana and Emérillon has been scientifically proven for 20 years. From their necessary fish consumption, these communities are even state than the others.
This situation is denounced since the years at least 1990, by INSERM, the InVS, CIRAD and CNRS and many other scientific structures, like by ONG local and world and the Fédération of the Amerindian Organizations of Guyana (F.O.A.G.).
the FOAG deposited on January 15th, 2001 with the Senior of the Examining magistrates of the Court of Bankruptcy of Cayenne a collective complaint in the name of the Wayanas communities and Émérillons of the Amerindian Villages of Haut-Maroni and Tampoc. The felt sorry for against X was deposited for Infraction in articles 221-5, 221-6, 222-15, 223-1 and 223-6 of the French Penal code and all others Crime S and Délit S which could appear in the course of instruction.
the conclusion of the vast epidemiological study published semi-2007 watch that the situation worsened strongly in 10 years (of 1997 to 2006), and confirms that the risk increases with the years: on High Maroni of the rates of 12,2microgrammes per gram (μg/g) of hair were raised at the Amerindian population, against 10,6 μg/g in 1997. The rate of adults exceeding the mercury concentrations of 10 μg/g (threshold of the World Health Organization) passed from 64 to 83%, and it passed in the children from 50 to 54%.

But the actions of the state (police force, gendarmerie, ONCFS, ONF, Customs S, etc did not mobilize means proportioned with the extent of the problem and appeared tardily. They did not have measurable results on the general contamination of the ecosystems by mercury. The legal or illegal trade of mercury do not seem either to be the subject of the control which would be justified would be this only because of the toxicity of this product.

Health

Problems neurological, intellectual, increased ostéotendineux reflexes, a defect of coordination of the members, a reduction in the capacities visuospatiale, and sometimes in congenital malformations have been observed at Wayanas for several years, evoking the disorders induced by mercury, in particular observed with Minamata before the appearance of serious malformations in the children and the disorders being able to lead to a particularly painful death (tetany.).

These symptoms described by the Wayana population and Emerillon themselves correspond to those until one can wait being given the rates of mercury measured in their hair as of the years 1990 (11,7 µg/g for the adults and 14 µg/g for the children (maximum limit WHO = 10 µg/g, limit considered to be too high by certain experts). In the Nineties to 2004, certain Wayanas villages, 65% of the adults and 80% of the children present an impregnation to the mercury higher than the standard of WHO, with up to 27,2 µg. On average, the nonAmerindian Guianese population knows a maximum concentration of 3 µg/g of hair, slightly higher than the normal, but much lower than that of Wayanas.

Dr. Cardoso showed that in 2005, they was 84% of the Wayanas adults and Emerillon S which presents mercury concentrations in the hair exceeding the bar of 10 µg/g fixed by WHO, against 64% at the time of the investigation of 1997. And the children, most sensitive, passed from 50 to 54% above 10µg/g.

In 1998, the Inserm had already detected deteriorations of the field of vision, of the disorders of the coordination and the mobility, typical of the mercurielle intoxication, in the children. It is a sign which lets fear probably irreversible deficiencies according to the studies of reference, for example with the Faroe Islands in children poisoned atequivalent rates.

Except some isolated cases far away from the sites polluted by the gold diggers, the Amerindians the top Maroni are the most contaminated Guianeses.

Problem underestimated by the studies?

A recent investigation into congenital malformations in the insolated villages of Haut-Maroni was made by the epidemiologist Thierry Cardoso. : It related to 246 official births for the period June 93 - June 2005). Dr. Cardoso concluded with a “nonexcessive” number of malformations; “8 congenital malformations observed (2 hydrocéphalies, a trisomy, a sterility of the 2 ears, an anal imperforation and auditory canal, a vascular anomaly and another of a kidney) cannot be related to the mercury”.

; This study could present two important skews:

It was focused on visible malformations. Other doctors and toxicologists estimate that it is an error because mercury tackles initially the central nervous system and causes already functional disorders in the children, and it is known that the intoxication has increased for 15 years.
:: “ One is manufacturing cretins ” concludes a doctor.
Traditionally, at Wanana as in many communities autochtones, the malformés or premature babies (and a twin on two) were killed by the family with the birth. That was practiced until the arrival of Europeans on the Maroni even until 1970 or 1996 according to the Indians who speak about it.
:: “ That is done less since the expectant mothers are declared, but that is still done in hiding-place. It is sad to let grow an handicapped child ”
:: “ On our premises, the malformés babies were killed by the parents until approximately 1996 ”

The problem would still arise for the pregnant girl without husband. If nobody adopts it, the baby can be eliminated by the family. In the isolated communities, the pregnancies all are not declared, and a death with the birth is not the subject of checking.

The Indians, either because it know these practices prohibited, or for cultural reasons, do not speak to the investigators about it. The study could thus involuntarily have underestimated the real number of congenital malformations.

Sources of mercury

The four carnivorous fish, alas easiest to fish are more at the risk: the Huluwi, the Aïmara, the Mitala and the Piraï, alone bring 70% of the mercury of their food.

; Three sources of contamination of fish:

the oxidized mercury stored in the grounds is naturally very present in Guyana (8 times on average than in metropolis). The man primarily releases it in the air and by muds brought to the rivers following the use of the powerful water jets under pressure of the gold washers. Simple deforestation, fire and installations road are also sources of important mercury release in the environment;
the mercury used at the beginning of the XXe century to amalgamate gold during the rush;
That massively used since the resumption of this activity in the years 1990, grace in particular to the publication of the results of the study of the richnesses of the basement by the BRGM.

Mediatization of the problem.

The film " the law of the jungle, chronicle of a zone of nonright " of the documentalist Philippe Lafaix denounced the problem of gold washing (sometimes qualified orpillage), but in spite of more than one hundred of public projections unanimously greeted by the spectators and although honoured by several important rewards (of which Prix of documentary the to the International festival of film of the environment of Paris , and Price of the better film for the human rights with the CinéEco with the Portugal), it was diffused only once in France by only one television channel. A very compressed version was during several years consultable on Internet: it is again accessible (see external bonds).

Solutions considered

The principle pollutant-payer, as any prohibition of gold washing seem politically particularly difficult to apply.

One considered a certification of source, even a campaign incentive to boycott this gold, but this solutions seem difficult to consider and the many campaigns petition type remained to date without durable effects on the ground.

The mercurielle Pollution is durable, even if one stopped the Orpaillage. The administration now seems to want to encourage the Indians of the river to change food. InVs alerts on the importance not to upset traditional nutritional balance, under penalty of finding itself with diabetes, cardiovascular hypertensions and problems, as at Inuits with the Quebec or in other populations autochtones having adopted food habits of Western type.

Such a change is also psychologically and culturally very delicate, at people of fishermen.

The Council of the human rights of UNO at the beginning of July 2006 adopted the Déclaration of the rights of the people autochtones which had been in authority for more than 12 years. It could be a new tool useful for the defense of the rights of the Amerindians for health and a preserved environment, right also ensured by the French constitution.

Bearable installation

The opening of a East-West transamazonienne (RN2) which cuts Guyana on 80 km (Axis Cayenne - Brazil) is the first ecological factor of fragmentation in this area which was one of rare in the world to be saved, but it is also one invites moreover for the tourists who flow to Saint Georges of Oyapock, hunters professional and poachers to go up the river to go in theory prohibited territory since 1970 in order to protect the Amerindians Wayampis and Tekos.

The plane, the helicopter, the metal dugouts with engines and the development of the Quad S, as well as the appearance of GPS and the cellphone or satellite facilitated to the increasingly frequent intrusions worms of the zones formerly difficult to reach.

The many campaigns of ONG local or international do not have is enough to put an end to gold washing nor to make it to reduce or it clean (taking into consideration mercury which could mainly be recovered)

reaction of the administration

The Prefecture tardily prohibited the use of mercury (on January 1st, 2006). But in addition to it is probably not respected by the clandestine gold washers, this measurement will be without effect on the mercury already accumulated in the food chain, nor on the mercury libéréré by the erosion of the grounds.

However, mercury remains free on sale with the close Surinam.

Andre Cognat, French subway of origin is integrated since 1961 in a Wayana village which it contributed to found: Antécume-Pata. It belongs to those which médiatisé the difficulties that the Amerindians know, in particular by its book I chose to be Indian and by its interventions in several documentary in educational or ethnographic matter.

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