INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTHERN MATO GROSSO, BRAZIL — OBERG 



23 



ears are dried and hung on the beams of the house 

 for next year's seed. During the months of June, 

 July, and August of 1948, except for the dried ears 

 of seed maize, no maize was observed among the 

 Camayura either stored or in the form of food. 

 No beans or squashes were observed. 



FRUITS 



In addition to garden products the Camayura pro- 

 duce two fruits — the "piqui" and the "mangaba." 

 These fruits can be said to be cultivated insofar as 

 the people plant the seeds from which they grow. 

 No pruning or other care of the trees was observed. 

 Brazilian naturalists claim that these trees have 

 been brought to this region from the plateau, for 

 they are seen only around the villages or growing in 

 abandoned village sites. 



The piqui tree, when mature, grows to a height 

 of about 50 feet. The gnarled trunk and twisted 

 branches give the tree a very rugged appearance. 

 The leaves are large, dark green in color, and 

 provide excellent shade near or in the village. 

 The tree is planted from seed and requires about 

 10 to 15 years to reach fruit-bearing stage. The 

 spraylike blossoms are pale yellow. The fruit is 

 about the size and color of the avocado but is 

 rounder and usually shows two segments which 

 contain the two large stones or seeds. 



The mangabeira (Portuguese for mangaba tree) 

 which produces the fruit called mangaba, is much 

 smaller, growing to about 1 5 feet or the size of an 

 average plum tree. These trees, too, have been 

 imported from the plateau. The mangabeira is a 

 latex tree, the natives sometimes using the latex 

 to make rubber balls. A cut on the bark or fruit 

 at once permits the white milky liquid to exude to 

 the surface. The tree, although gnarled as are 

 most of the trees belonging to the semiarid plateau, 

 has small leaves and a beautiful snow-white star- 

 shaped flower. The fruits which appear to grow 

 all the year round, are the size and color of a small 

 apricot, being, like the apricot also, somewhat 

 downy on the surface. The interior consists of a 

 soft whitish pulp containing many small seeds and 

 a refreshing cherrylike flavor. Both trees are 

 found in considerable profusion around all the 

 settlements that have remained located in one 

 spot for a number of years. 



The Camayurd attribute great value to the 

 piqui, or peke'i as they call it. Piqui time is a 



good time, everybody feels good, there is dancing, 

 the sacred flutes are played, and offerings are made 

 to the mama'e of the piqui tree. This attitude is 

 undoubtedly associated with the nutritional value 

 of piqui and its position in the annual consumption 

 cycle. The piqui is known to have a heavy oil 

 content and, although I have seen no chemical 

 analysis of this fruit, its resemblance to the avo- 

 cado should indicate, in addition, a rich mineral 

 and vitamin content. 



Extremely important, too, is the fact that piqui 

 becomes available in December, being the first of 

 the new year's food products. The tropical, warm- 

 water fish are not particularly rich in oil, and 

 manioc, as we know, is predominantly a starch 

 food. Piqui, therefore, comes in during a dietary- 

 low in terms of fresh vegetable foods. 



When the piqui fruits ripen they fall to the 

 ground and are gathered up for processing. 

 Around the village the gathering is done by women 

 and children, but when the fruits have to be 

 brought in from some distance men load them in 

 wicker burden baskets and carry them to the 

 village on their backs. 



The following account of the methods of proc- 

 essing is based not on observation, but upon the 

 statements of the Camayurd. When the fruits 

 are brought in they are unloaded in the central 

 part of the house where, as we have seen, manioc 

 is processed. Many of the same implements are 

 used. The women split the fruit with a shell knife, 

 remove the skin, and place the pulp in a large pot. 

 A little water is added and the whole mass, still 

 containing the seeds, is boiled until the pulp 

 separates from the seeds. The oil, imi, which 

 arises to the surface is skimmed off and stored in 

 narrow-necked gourd containers. When the pulp 

 cools the seeds are removed and left to dry. The 

 pulp is then pressed in the sieve, tvxivl, after which 

 it is ready to eat. If large quantities are prepared 

 the pulp is wrapped in leaves, placed in baskets, 

 and put under water where it will keep for months. 

 If kept under water for a long time the pulp 

 becomes sour but is still considered edible. The 

 piqui nuts are opened and the kernels are eaten, 

 roasted or unroasted. 



Like the manioc plant, the piqui tree is sur- 

 rounded by ritual, and, like the manioc, has three 

 guardian spirits, or mama'e. Perhaps the most 

 important is mavurawd, for a ceremony is per- 



