To continue strengthening the practices of traditional indigenous medicine, with a focus on the prevention of Covid-19, the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR) through Emergency support, and in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has been supporting indigenous communities that carry out the production of medicine.
The support started in May with the request for purchases, deliveries start in June 2022. So far, the communities that have already received support with inputs and a refrigerator have been: Canauanim, Malacacheta in the Serra da Lua region, Taxi, Barro and Raposa Serra do Sol Training and Culture Center, in the Surumu region, Anta I, Anta II in the Tabaio region, Truaru da Cabeceira in the Murupu region, Araçá in the Amajari region, Caracaranã regional center in the Raposa region and Camará in the Baixo Cotingo region.
The communities that received only the inputs were: Maturuca, Serras region, Canta Galo, Surumu, Barata, Pium and Boqueirão, Tabaio region, Serra da Moça, Murupu region, Vizela and São Francisco, Baixo Cotingo region, Sucuba, Arapuá and Raimundão I, Alto Cauamé region and Tabalascada, Serra da Lua region.
Keyla Chagas Wapichana, regional coordinator of traditional medicine in the Murupu region, thanked the partners who have contributed to the work of indigenous communities. And that valuing traditional knowledge is strengthening the identity of indigenous peoples.
"The help, the contribution, the support are very important for our communities. I would like to thank the CIR in the person of the coordinator Edinho and the Secretary of the indigenous women's movement, Maria Betânia, and all the people who help us directly and indirectly. We value our traditional medicine, many people today seek it, even non-indigenous people. This is our knowledge. The history of our ancestors has not been forgotten," she said.
In addition to the inputs for production, the communities that have the houses of traditional indigenous medicine received the support of construction material for the structural adaptation of these houses. They were: Canauanim, Serra da Lua region, Serra da Moça, Truarú da Cabeceira, Murupu region, Anta I, Tabaio region.
The deliveries were made by the General Secretary of the Indigenous Women's Movement of the CIR, Maria Betânia Macuxi, Vanessa Fernandes Wapichana, Nursing technician of emergency support, Geneide dos Santos Wai Wai, technical coordinator of traditional medicine and the Logistics Assistant Judá Dias.
Since 2020, with the support of several partners, the CIR has been supporting indigenous communities in strengthening the production of traditional medicine, with essential inputs and materials, especially in the prevention of Covid-19, due to the aggravation in several indigenous lands after the first cases in the State of Roraima.
Before the pandemic, traditional indigenous medicine was already being produced, but with the arrival of Covid-19, it intensified, showing its potential for the recovery and healing of several indigenous families.