The Tabalascada indigenous community, located in the Serra da Lua region, in the municipality of Cantá, holds the XI Beijú Festival. The event will take place on December 1, 2 and 3. After two years (2020 and 2021) without being held due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event returns with full force in 2022.
The Beijú Festival aims to strengthen the cultural of the Wapichana and Macuxi peoples of the Serra da Lua region, as well as the neighboring municipalities of Cantá and Boa Vista. Who over the years have attended and are aware of the Tabalascada Indigenous Land.
The first edition of the Beijú Festival was held in 2005, founded at the time by the then Secretary of Indigenous Affairs of the municipality of Cantá, Jodecildo Cruz Cadete. Who saw the need to value the cassava beijú which is one of the staple foods of the indigenous peoples of the State of Roraima. But mainly the Macuxi and Wapichana of the Serra da Lua region. Since the beijú is the basis of the food, this is how it was thought to hold the festival on the daily food that accompanies another no less important Damurida.
Thus, the 1st Beijú Festival began in 2005 and later years until 2008. The Festival was suspended for a few years. In 2013, Jodecildo Cruz became tuxaua of the Tabalascada community, when he began planning to resume the event. Unfortunately, on August 31 of the same year the tuxaua passed away.
Due to the death of the tuxaua Jodecildo Cruz, the Beijú Festival was only resumed in 2014, under the responsibility of the tuxaua Cesar da Silva. Only in 2015 and 2016, respectively, the festival took a new direction. The event gained great repercussion and in 2016 had an audience in the last two days of approximately 6 thousand participants.
The indigenous peoples of the Serra da Lua region live on indigenous lands demarcated on islands. With this, a large part of the territory has been reduced to small portions of land. However, they want to keep alive the traditions and customs that still remain, as well as to bring to the youngest indigenous and non-indigenous people the knowledge of the reality of the peoples who reside in the State of Roraima.
The Beijú Festival has a vast program with disputes of traditional indigenous competitions, with: archery, darruana braiding, pedestrian race, slingshot (baladeira), parichara dance, eat more beijú, tug of war, log race, anikê race, spinning cotton, grating cassava, climbing the bacabeira and drinking caxiri. In addition to competitions such as men's field soccer and women's Society soccer.
Every night there will be cultural attractions, such as the choice of the queen of the Xl Festival do Beijú and a theater presentation. In addition to a dance party. The Tabalascada community is located on BR 432, 26 km from Boa Vista.
Text: Wakywai Network Communicator Nailson Almeirda
Photos: Disclosure/@festivaldobeiju2022
