‘Enchanted Lagoon’ holds mysteries about Xavante Indigenous People of Brazil

By Davi Vittorazzi – From Cenarium

CUIABÁ (MT) – By its very name, a lagoon in Xavante territory, within the Parabubure Indigenous Territory, in the rural area of Campinápolis (565 kilometers from Cuiabá), generates immense curiosity: it is called the Enchanted Lagoon. With an unknown depth, the site is surrounded by mysteries about the origins of the Xavante people who live in the region.

In Mato Grosso, the Xavante population is approximately 25,000 people, making them the most numerous Indigenous group in the state, divided into hundreds of villages across 12 cities. Campinápolis has three Indigenous lands, two of which are officially demarcated: Parabubure and Chão Preto.

The director of the Luiz Rudzane Edi Orebewe State Indigenous School, Josué Rodrigues Nogueira Junior, told REVISTA CENARIUM that the sacred nature of the lagoon is linked to the origin of this people.

“Many believe that the first Xavante emerged in the region of the lagoon (…) it is a precious place, a source of self-esteem, important to the local culture,” he explains.

To access the site, one must obtain permission from a Xavante individual, as the region is considered sacred. The lagoon is located about 30 kilometers from the urban area of Campinápolis. Even so, the director explains that it is common to see tourists at the site without authorization, which he considers disrespectful.

“Next to the Enchanted Lagoon, there is the Cave of Secrets, which they [the Indigenous people] believe is a portal to the other world. This portal is also of great importance to Xavante culture,” describes Nogueira Junior.

Enchanted and Surrounded by Myths

According to the school director, who has lived in the region for ten years, various myths are told by local residents, but each family presents a different story related to the lagoon. One of them is that silver men live underwater. Another myth tells of a Xavante who had to pray to the gods to rescue women who were trapped in the depths.

“I believe that the Enchanted Lagoon is the soul of the Xavante people. All Xavante from the nine regions go to the lagoon,” emphasizes the teacher. Since it is within Indigenous Territory, he believes the space should be valued and preserved as part of this people’s culture.

The Xavante Indigenous man from the Poredza’ono clan and pedagogy professor at the State University of Mato Grosso (Unemat), Florestino Warawi, says that the myth told by his parents was that the lagoon housed the father and mother of water.

“One day, some women went to the lagoon and saw a cabacinho [a small portion of water] protruding, overflowing with water. The women went down to get the cabacinho, and they were captured by the owner of the lagoon,” says Warawi.

Ancestry

Saturnino Wapotowe Rudzane’edi, who has also been a teacher for 14 years, says that in the native language, the lagoon is called U’U Enchanted Lagoon, and it is 16 kilometers from the village where he lives. Saturnino explains that speaking about the place is a source of pride for the people of the region, as it involves a deep connection with ancestry.

“It is a lagoon practically created by nature’s work, a gift from God, which we have learned to live with, to appreciate its beauty and what it offers us. We also seek our energies there, as we perform our rituals inside the cave, which is next to the lagoon. A mystical place, a mysterious place, yet one of respectful coexistence,” describes the teacher.

Saturnino also explains that the water has a green hue and never dries up, even in the absence of rain. Additionally, he says the site does not accumulate debris during rains and does not change in water level.

“Today, unfortunately, it is at risk due to increased vehicle traffic, mainly from non-Indigenous people. We have caught [these people]. We have hope for monitoring efforts to help preserve it, given its value to us, the Xavante people,” the teacher highlights.

Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves