Xingu Native Ceremony 

Kuarup Funeral Rite

Xingu Native Ceremony in the Brazilian Amazon. Indigenous ceremonies and rituals not only serve to reinforce roles and relationships within a culture, but intercultural as well. The Kuarup Ceremony is a good example of a ceremony that functions to maintain bonds between different cultures, and not only those within the same culture. Although the Kuarup (Quarup) is principally a funeral rite for Xingu Indians, it is also a celebration of life itself and includes elements of rebirth. For example, young girls who have had their first menstrual period since the last Kuarup participate. The young girls paint their bodies and typically dance in the Ritual of the Flutes, following the flute player with their eyes blinded or closed.