This project aims to recover, safeguard, and return the audiovisual and sound collection of the Asuriní of Xingu, an Indigenous Tupi-Guarani people living in the Brazilian Amazon along the Xingu River. The material is the result of fieldwork conducted by the Brazilian anthropologist Regina Polo Müller between 1976 and 1986, documenting cosmogonic and shamanic rituals, dances, chants, myths, graphic art, and material culture, including the production of items such as ceramics, basketry, housing, wooden utensils, body ornaments, weapons, and musical instruments. Accompanying this audiovisual collection is a set of 32 objects representing Asurini material culture. The collection comprises 21 hours and 30 minutes outdated media formats that hinder access for researchers and, most importantly, the return of this material to the Asuriní of Xingu, who are eager to reclaim it. Given the fragility of the material, the risk of its loss is imminent. Therefore, we aim to rescue the collection, transfer it to modern media formats, and return it to its rightful owners so that they can preserve their culture and pass it on to future generations. Furthermore, we aim to photograph and expand the descriptions of the 32 objects in the collection. The project title, “Soul Box,” refers to the term many Indigenous people of the Asuriní people use to describe video playback devices on which they view their own images, such as the audiovisual works recovered and repatriated in this project.
PI: Regina Aparecida Polo Müller
Collaborators: Isaura de Aguiar; Tukura Assurini
Research Location: Campinas City and the Koatinemo Indigenous Territory, Brazil
Host Institution: State University of Campinas – Unicamp
Top Banner Image: Asuriní Woman with body paint making necklaces and ritual food. Photo credit: Delarole, Renato, 1978.