9 — A Carajá Indian with a parrot
"Parrots are the most frequent and favorite pets among Indians. Occasionally they are taken out of their nests when they are still devoid of feathers and raised by Indian women with great affection and devotion. Later these domesticated birds and other animals from the forests live perfectly free among their human friends. The birds sleep in the hut or on the roof, or spend nights in the nearby forests. When a domesticated bird or mammal finds a mate, it may return to its real home in the forest for a short time, or permanently. The Umutinas keep tamed birds, because they believe that one of the human souls is embodied in certain animal species after death. Among the Umutinas these soul-carrying birds are a part of the household. They receive plentiful food and they are never given away or sold. When such a bird dies it is buried and given the same kind of funeral, though smaller, as that prescribed for human beings. Nothing can better illustrate the relationship between man and animal among the Indians than this usage.
The Carajá wears a wooden plug in his perforated lower lip; on his cheeks are two painted scar tattoos, his tribal mark. The bands he wears on his forearms are made of red dyed crocheted cotton. These are characteristic of the Carajá and their neighbors the Tapirapé."
Schultz, Harald. 1962. Hombu: Indian life in the Brazilian jungle. New York: The Macmillan Company.













