03/29/07

In Brazil, there is a group of native people called Indios (IN-juice) who still live there today. They live in the cities and in north Brazil. They usually do not wear many clothes. What they usually wear is a tanga. The tanga is worn by both men and women.

Men

          Men also wear a lot of necklaces and cocar to symbolize happiness; Indios, especially men, always paint them selves with a seed called urucum.

 Women

          Women wear tanga on the bottom although it is more “covered” than the men’s. Women do not wear a piece of clothing to cover their upper body.

Children

         Children that are just born do not wear any clothes because they are too small. The weather in the north is almost always hot. In the cities, they wear more “closed” clothes because they were exposed to modern western cultures. Kids that are 5 years older are able to wear tanga. Kids of all ages wear necklaces and cocar.

          Necklaces and cocars are very traditional in Indios life. They wear them every single day to symbolize happiness.

Earrings which are made of a flower.

Other types of earrings are made from feathers.

 Cocar that was made from a bird called Arara Azul (Arara Blue).

 Necklace made of feathers, seeds and a fruit “case”.

Why is everything made from natural things?

          Indios love nature and they hate “material” things. For example, things we buy in the mall, things that we wear. So everything they wear is produced by them selves and it is taken from trees, animals, and fruits.