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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.
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